Ottawa – April 22, 2024 – To maintain trust in the integrity of sport, athletes and sports need to feel that everyone is on the same level playing field. Unfortunately, the recent reports regarding positive tests in China have no doubt left athletes around the world feeling that anti-doping rules haven’t been applied consistently.
The CCES has reviewed the recent media reports regarding allegations of doping in Chinese swimming prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, as well the World Anti-Doping Agency’s responses on this matter.
Given the CCES was not directly involved in this matter, we have no additional information about the situation and can therefore only comment on what has been reported publicly. However, the apparent lack of transparency regarding the management of these cases is concerning. Transparency within the global anti-doping system is fundamental to its creditability and to maintaining the confidence of athletes and the public.
The World Anti-Doping Code and its standards clearly set out the rules and processes to be followed – from mandatory provisional suspensions to determinations of violations to cases of possible contamination. Aside from very rare circumstances, public disclosure and reporting are mandatory in all cases. In this case, public disclosure would have allowed for transparency at the time of the investigation and enabled athletes and the public to hold the system accountable.