A doping storm over the Olympics in Paris intensified on the eve of the opening ceremony as leading swimmers condemned the “failed” China anti-doping investigation.
Caeleb Dressel, the seven-time Olympic gold medallist, bluntly replied “no, not really” when asked whether he had confidence in the case involving 23 athletes.
Australia’s Olympic 200 metres breaststroke champion Zac Stubblety-Cook also indicated he may carry out a podium protest against the Chinese. The system, he said, “ultimately feels like it’s failed”.
Telegraph Sport had reported after the scandal erupted in April how medal hopefuls were considering protests in Paris but anger has only intensified in recent days.
A war between the global anti-doping body and the United States equivalent had already reached boiling point on Thursday before the swimmers spoke out. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has said it was “speechless” over claims it has been a lapdog to the International Olympic Committee, which threatened to pull the plug on the US hosting future Games unless the FBI ends investigations into China cover-up claims.
Wada faced ferocious questions at a press conference in Paris, prompting the body to recognise it could not promise Paris would be “the cleanest games ever.”
Witold Bańka, the Wada president, said: “It’s not our role to do it” and added later: “It’s obvious that you will never eliminate doping from the sporting landscape.”
Dressel, meanwhile, is competing in his third Games, but it is the first one since a doping scandal emerged involving the Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart drug, TMZ, in 2021.
“I don’t think they have given us enough evidence to support how this case was handled,” he said of the scandal which first came to light thanks to the New York Times and German TV station ARD-1.
Stubblety-Cook separately hinted at an anti-doping protest against racing Chinese world record holder Qin, who was listed among the 23 positive tests.
The IOC’s Rule 50 gives athletes some freedom to express opinions on political or social issues but protests at medal podiums or on the field of play are banned. “Everyone probably is aware of rule 50 here and the repercussions that happen with that,” Stubblety-Cook told reporters on Thursday.
“I think potentially we could see protests in other events as well. Personally I think I will make a decision probably on the day.
“But you know at the end of the day, I’m a clean athlete and I’m trying to abide by those rules and I just hope my competitors do the same.”
Qin, 25, who beat Stubblety-Cook for the 200m breaststroke world title at Fukuoka last year and also took his world record, is a major contender for the Olympic gold medal.
The US Anti-Doping Agency has led criticism of Wada’s decision to accept a Chinese investigation that all 23 swimmers were contaminated, even though evidence to prove that theory has not been published.
At the press conference, ARD journalist, Hajo Seppelt, vocally told Wada that its investigation was inadequate and Chinese athletes had not been interviewed.
It is believed 11 of the 23 Chinese swimmers are due to compete in Paris as the FBI investigates the case under the Rodchenko Act, which was passed after the Russian doping scandal at the Sochi Winter Games. Wada and the IOC oppose the challenge to their authority, however.
Blanka revealed that the Rodchenkov act would go to its compliance review committee next month, “to check whether this legislation is in alignment with our world anti-doping code.”
Separately the IOC has also told the US that it must support Wada as the global leader in the fight against doping or risk losing the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034.
Team GB flag bearer Tom Daley also appeared at the World Aquatics press conference on Thursday, and said he was out to dash China’s bid for a clean sweep of Olympic gold medals in diving once again.
“On paper you would probably consider them to win every single event but it’s the Olympic Games and I know that every single one of the Chinese divers knows that it’s their competitions to lose, which brings a lot of pressure,” he said.
2024-07-25T19:10:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd