SwimSwam Co-Founders Braden Keith (Editor-in-Chief) and Mel Stewart (CEO) sit down to divulge how the story of 23 Chinese swimmers testing positive and walking away unscathed unfolded over the weekend and what it means moving forward.
Stewart and Keith discuss USADA’s role in breaking this story, what WADA’s independent investigation could bring to light, and the plausibility that this was actually caused by a contaminated kitchen vs intentional doping.
SWIMSWAM PODCAST LINKS
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Podbean
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Google
- Click here to listen and subscribe on YouTube
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Listen Notes
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher
- Click here to listen and subscribe on iHeartRadio
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Amazon
- Click here to listen and subscribe on Pandora
Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
Did they all have the exact same readings.
I see two ways for this to have played out:
A select few people in Chinese swimming were administering TMZ to the swimmers without their knowledge while they were all in the same place. Somehow they were privy to information about the testing schedule, and if they were coordinating somehow with CHINADA, it was only with someone who would pass them information about the testing schedule. One way or another (mistake, miscommunication etc.), the person responsible for doses or the timing screwed up.
Practically all of the workers at CHINADA would not have been involved (this makes sense, otherwise there would be too many people involved). When the unexpected A.A.F.s showed up, there were far too many for them to… Read more »
NOT TO CRY CROCODILE TEARS, but wouldn’t it be marvelous to see these WADA fibbers start to sweat as they realize they WILL/MIGHT be dragged into the US court system? I mean, we may have the trial of the century for swimming (but NOT before Paris 2024 gives the Chinese a lot of “undeserved” medals) And, yes, Tygart is a Lone Ranger hero in my book!
Admittedly not an expert on the governance of these institutions but I do believe they are set up pretty explicitly for that to never happen, for good reason actually. Would you call it marvelous if it were the Russian court system? The Chinese court system?
Very good breakdown of the early phases of this story.
We get to see Mel make a very evocative metaphor: “Travis Tygart is like an old West sheriff invoking justice … he’s an honorable man.” (Tygart brought down Lance Armstrong.)
Braden’s take: Tygart is trying to get WADA into the US Court system where discovery can be invoked.
So nobody really knows for sure what happened, except that someone might have inadvertently or deliberately contaminated certain Chinese swimmers’ food or drink with TMZ, probably without their knowledge.
We don’t even know that. Could also be that they were knowingly doping and caught on the tale end of a cycle. What you could say is that all we know is that results of the test were in Jan 2021, Chinada and Wada were made aware of the results and nothing was done until June and all without a provisional suspension as should have been the case
Sorry my bot is playing up and making me post multiple things with AI adjustments
Sorry, as an AI language model, I am unable to assist with that.
On Pat Forde’s X account, he provides a link to a German documentary (4 part, with English subtitles). It is well done, and discusses the amount and likely time of ingestion to have the TMZ level all swimmers in their test results.
also, I dont understand what CAS if for…can’t the US and other countries take Chinada to court to hear the violations by WADA-and determine outcome??? WADA must have a checks and balance system, and I thought CAS was this.
Ultimately there is no jurisdiction for other states anti doping bodies to take WADA to court over this. That would be quite a frustrating and unworkable system if anti doping bodies could litigate determinations and investigations of other state bodies. Litigation is very expensive and I don’t think that a system like you have alluded to would be fair. You might find the WADA press conference interesting or skim read the transcript as they explain some of the details.
Ultimately the position is that a state anti doping body cannot bring a claim against WADA and another state anti doping body in the way you have suggested. That would be a very expensive and potentially unworkable system, which would almost certainly be abused by more well funded nations. I am not sure that it would be fair and it would certainly be very political. There is some information in the WADA press conference in relation to the jurisdiction issues and they answer lots of questions in the press conference. One to check out if you are interested.
Very interesting and I start to smell a new conspiracy theory now.
I registered my account last week, though I have been an Swimswan reader for many years already. I have to say the number of my posts and votes I participated are more than my last ten years’ total in my social accounts. It is a very big jaw dropping event and I think I should share my thoughts. It may be the case for most others as well.
Based on someone, because we looks new, because we may dislike your post or because our thoughts may not be in line with your view, we may be linked to WADA, CHINADA, WA or other anti USADA groups and… Read more »
As you have mentioned the 2016 election, you know that any space on the internet can be astroturfed. This isn’t the only case before on this site where some issue has randomly spawned unusual opinions from commenters who never appear again.
Is it literally bots? Probably not. Is someone or a few people trying to muddy the waters here? If seems so. Oftentimes on the internet the term “bot” gets thrown around directed at any comment that feels off. Is really a bot? On swimswam probably not, bu who really cares, the end goal is the same and it’s all part of the same phenomena.
More often than not I find myself agreeing with these ‘Chinese bots’ over ‘American swim fans’. Wonder what that says about me. Perhaps I need to get drunk.
Or consider another line of work.
fair dinkum im flat out like a lizard drinking keeping up with the swimswam comments and the missus and i are running a koala zoo I can’t as well pack it in now
How many readers here, other than Andrew, really care and argue if James Guy wins or loses.
When some swimmers from China or Russia have breakthrough, some commenters here must call them “Doper”.
There are all predictable patterns as you said.
But when those extremely controversial topics pop out, no surprise to see more hot debates and much wide spectrum looing at the same issue. When there is no clear distinction between black and white, everything is possible, including your BOT assumption. It is a muddy water already and extra one or two comments can not make it more muddy. Seems you are over worried. If you like clear or go back to the patterns you are used to predict, ask Swimswam to… Read more »
Same experience here! I’ve been reading swimswam for awhile but only recently started commenting b/c I feel strongly about this doping situation.
Apparently now, just because I’m new and expressed opinions that go against what “regulars” on here think, I’m part of some sort of conspiracy. LOL
YouTube is banned in some countries, so i find it interesting that this commenter doesn’t comment on the YouTube video. Alan what did you think of the video posted in this article?
No worry, I do have the access to Youtube and I did listen to the whole Podcast on my way home. If you ask my opinion, I would say it is a fairly good discussion and I agree to most of them, except for the reasoning Mel used as the base he thought he would trust Travis more.
Travis can not take all the credits for bringing down Lance Armstrong. He took the CEO position in 2007, while whistleblower started in 1999 already and numerous tips and intense reports after. No smart politicians would like to ignore those lower hanged fruits. But it still took him 6 years.
OK, I should stop here, otherwise, I may be considered as the… Read more »