An Olympic-sized fight erupts among anti-doping officials, and it's just getting started

Incompetent people don't like it when others shine a light on their incompetence.

I'm a little surprised that the USGovt funds WADA at all. The different sporting associations should be doing that, not the USGovt.

The way funding is split needs to be reviewed. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/wada_contributions_2024_update_en_0.pdf Places with the most doping should be paying more. The US pays 4.6x more than China. Japan pays 2x more than China. That doesn't seem fair.

Isn't China the 2nd largest economy in the world? Chinese talk about how great their economy is, so start paying your fair share already. Feels like all of China's leader are controlled by an Auntie trying to get free stuff.

WADA seems like an appendage of the Chinese state; It lacks transparency and independence. The 23 Chinese swimmers with tainted TMZ results should NOT be allowed to set foot at the Paris Olympic pool.

If WADA had any iota of integrity they would render lifetime bans on all 23 doping Chinese.

The Chinese and the Russians are symbiotic twins when it comes to State sponsored doping.

WADA is a murky, opaque organization that cannot be trusted. It is beyond belief that they cleared 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive to a heart medication (TMZ) on the basis that they all ate "contaminated food". How on earth could a specific, prescription heart medication make its way into food?

WADA should be disbanded.

The Chinese and the Russians are symbiotic twins when it comes to State sponsored doping.

Absolutely. But in the Chinese case, they have the money and power to pay the right WADA officials to escape any consequences.

Doping works, Flo Jo, Lance Armstrong,Marion Jones etc were all doped to the hills and never failed a test. It is not difficult to evade testing positive. Only those who screw up get caught. Just accept that all strength athletes are on steroids or growth hormones, endurance athletes are on EPO and enjoy the games.

Doping works, Flo Jo, Lance Armstrong,Marion Jones etc were all doped to the hills and never failed a test. 

Yeah, some almost 40 years ago. False comparison.

Stop defending the current state-sponsored doping program of totalitarian China. All athletes should refuse to shake any Chinese hands if they end up on a podium.

Nobody suggests that any athlete or program caught doping shouldn't be punished, regardless of their nationality. Also, the punishment for each situation needs to have ZERO exceptions. The athletes who want to be eligible will do whatever it takes in countries where they control their own food. In countries where food is provided for them, as part of their JOB, then that organization is responsible. If 23 athletes are eating the same food and all found to be doped, that's the fault of the entire training and nutrition staff. Ban them all.

And if the Chinese cannot ensure their athletes get uncontaminated food, I worry about food safety across China. We've all seen the videos of people pulling water from unsanitary ponds and pulling used oil from the sewers to be used again. Yesterday, I saw a video of thousands of chickens being boiled, then thrown into a blocked stream lined with a tarp and bricks to keep it in place. All happening in completely unsanitary conditions. There's a outcry currently in China about chemical transport trucks taking was and dumping it in the countryside, then filling up with cooking oil - no washing of the tanker trucks between the different cargoes. Chinese people are pissed off at their govt. No wonder the Chinese athletes have tainted foods. Food safety standards and water safety just don't exist in China.

Remember in 2015 when some Chinese bought frozen chickens from WW2-1970s to sell to the Chinese people? Talk about freezer burn. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33254123

Chinese authorities have seized more than 100,000 tonnes of smuggled meat - some of it more than 40 years old,

No effective food safety there.

What I'd like to know is why those who tested positive all stayed at the same hotel, while no athletes staying at the other hotels tested positive. But then again, some people don't want to answer questions like this. Might burst the bubble.

On average, Chinese swimmers are tested FOUR times as often as American swimmers, due to American pressure (and there could be consequences for this blatantly Sinophobic bias). I seem to recall that Australian swimmer who was crying over Sun Yang but when one of his fellow swimmers tested positive, he went all silent.

@Fighto! Exactly. That's the typical Chinese default mode whenever they are exposed: they will make specious claims about the other party instead of addressing their own glaring corrupt and unethical shortcomings.

Almost everything China does seems corrupt. I do believe the national motto is: Win at all costs -- the truth be damned!

China has the most potent State sponsored doping system in the world, bar none; on par with the erstwhile GDR Aka East Germany.

Integrity of the sport is at risk, so that's why so much testing is happening. The testing of US and Australian swimmers seems to be low to ensure everyone they aren't doping too. That should be fixed.

On average, Chinese swimmers are tested FOUR times as often as American swimmers,

That seems lower than the numbers I've just seen.

In April, there was a systematic use of banned substances by China discovered. Of course they are tested more often. When Chinese swimmers stop having "accidental" doping to many of their swimmers for a few years, then the frequency of the testing will be reduced.

Testing of the top swimmers in each international event is required. WADA tests on their own schedule.

“World Aquatics conducted a total of 418 tests through this program. All Chinese swimmers have been tested out-of-competition at least eight times by World Aquatics, independently of any other anti-doping organization and using a WADA-accredited laboratory based in Europe.

“Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organizations, Chinese swimmers have been tested on average 21 times since 1 January 2024. Australian swimmers have been tested an average of four times in the same period, and USA swimmers an average of six times.”

Ref: https://swimswam.com/world-aquatics-releases-doping-test-data-prior-to-paris-chinese-swimmers-tested-20-times/

Beware that the count of tests for each team are often used, which means that smaller teams with the same number of total tests also have more individual tests per swimmer. A claim that Chinese swimmers have been tested 200 times in their first 10 days in Paris makes it seem like they are tested daily. Clearly, that isn't the case. The Chinese team has 31 members.

Watch out for "on average" reports. Swimmers with no history of issues are tested less often.

Remeber that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for at least 1 banned item in 2021 Tokyo Olymics. I'm still confused, how do people on COVID lockdown in China get banned substances "accidentally"? https://swimswam.com/herald-sun-23-chinese-swimmers-tested-positive-before-tokyo-olympics/

Anyway, World Aquatics doesn't want a repeat of the scandals and is doing all they can to ensure athletes are training and competing clean. If any have positive tests, I hope they will be banned from competition, immediately, regardless of the country. No need to have any scandals. The athletes need to be cautious about their food and drink intake. They know this.

Yeah, some almost 40 years ago. False comparison.

The pointless system of testing IN competition hasn't changed. China, Russia, Jamaica have state or sports federation organization for doping but not necessary more or better doping than the US, European or other nations. Doping works, it is part of sport.