On the heels of the Chinese Swimming Federation announcing its 31-strong roster for the 2024 Olympic Games, Australian head coach Rohan Taylor spoke to the press about the looming doping scandal surrounding the Asian nation.
As we reported, 11 of the newly-named Paris roster for China were among 23 athletes who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) at the start of the calendar year in 2021, about seven months before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The swimmers were not sanctioned by CHINADA, China’s anti-doping agency, as traces of TMZ were reportedly found present in the hotel the swimmers stayed at. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) upheld CHINADA’s decision.
While the situation may be on athletes’ and coaches’ minds as swimming action gets underway next month in Paris, Taylor told national broadcaster ABC, “I think for us, internally, we can only control what we can control.
“The narrative is quite clear, and that’s all we can do. We have to trust that WADA and World Aquatics are going to continue to investigate, and that we are aligned with a clean sport.
“That’s where we are at the moment, and we’ll continue to monitor that, but as far as it’s distracting us in competition, I think it’s not a controllable thing for us.
“For it to be a distraction, I think it’s probably a waste of energy.”
Taylor continued, “I look at it as, we’re going in and competing.
“If somebody’s not doing the right thing, we hope the system catches them and that’s basically how we work, because our guys get tested all the time too, so we’re in the same boat.”
Key Australian match-ups against the Chinese include Emma McKeon taking on Zhang Yufei in the women’s 100m fly and Zac Stubblety-Cook dueling with Qin Haiyang in the men’s 200m breaststroke.
It’s sad that the head coach of the Australian swim team feels it is a “waste of energy” to fight for clean sport. This is one of the reasons this nonsense will continue. What about Australia’s anti-doping agency–do they feel it is a waste of energy too? It would be nice to see them post up Australian domestic drug testing statistics (by athlete) and state whether they have ever cleared any positive-tested athletes without provisionally suspending them. Or would that also require too much energy?
Unfortunately everyone backs down when it comes to China. Once you realize how deep China’s corruption has penetrated into the international sporting environment (including World Aquatics and WADA) it seems hopeless. This is certainly the view from many in the diving community.
I don’t disagree that it’s a distraction and that swimmers should focus on what’s important. And it should be his job to make sure that they are in an environment where that’s the case. Howwever, in addition to the swimmers, there are also countless people behind the scenes whh keep the federations going. And they should flip the flip out and fight for their swimmers. The official position should’t be “what can you do? gotta trust WADA to do the right thing.” It should be: “Show us the receits, WADA! Right flipping NOW!”
Yes – it’s a waste of energy. Aussie swimmers have been competing against dopers since at least 1972.
Concentrate on what you can control and go and show the world what you can do, Dolphins!
Yes, let’s hope that WADA and World Aquatics, and most of all CHINADA can put their houses in order. But for now, let the Games begin…
Chinada putting it’s house in order? It is to laugh.
Chinada getting its house in order? How about it gets its kitchen in order!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!
Erriyon Knighton https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/1f1fa-1f1f8.svg tested positive for a metabolite of trenbolone during an out-of-competition drug test on March 26th, 2024! However, the 20-year-old has been cleared by USADA, and it was concluded that his positive test was due to consuming meat containing trenbolone.
Ok , that case is closed
Yes, and Knighton was provisionally suspended by USADA–and then was able to make the case for contamination–exactly the way it is supposed to work under the anti-doping code provisions. Those provisions were not adhered to by WADA and CHINADA in the case of the 23 Chinese positives in 2021 and the three Chinese positives in 2016-17 (who tested positive a second time in 2021).
Transparent about it, didn’t try to hide it. Provisionally banned him, he appealed. Yes, China should have followed this example.
Hiding your positives doesn’t look good.
Aside from the fact that this wasn’t buried and only came out years later (i.e. transparency!), it is also a single incident, not the entire team! The problems are #1 systematic doping and #2 the corrupt nature of these agencies
No it’s ok when Americans do it because they’re no sneaky Chinese
Of course! Americans are always clean! Chinese always cheat despite Americans having more medals stripped in all sports in the Olympics !