World Aquatics has formed a five-person review committee to investigate the anti-doping practices in the organization following reports that 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games despite testing positive for a banned substance. The move came after the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) acknowledged that it could not dispute the claim made by the China Anti-Doping Agency that the swimmers accidentally took a heart medication called trimetazidine (TMZ).
In a letter to member federations, World Aquatics expressed its commitment to improving its anti-doping review and decision-making process. The goal is to learn from this situation and enhance its ability to handle similar cases in the future, ensuring athletes’ confidence in the system remains strong. The committee members appointed are Miguel Cardenal, Ken Lalo, Annabelle Williams, Florent Manaudou, and Fernando Possenti, with an expected completion date for their review and report within two months.
Meanwhile, Wada has initiated an independent investigation led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier to scrutinize its handling of the case. The findings of this investigation are anticipated within two months, aiming to address any concerns about anti-doping practices and assure athletes heading into Paris Olympic Games. Additionally, US athlete representative organizations have called for an independent investigation while International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has expressed his trust in Wada’s integrity.
