Western observers unfairly single out China in doping stories: Australian scholars

CANBERRA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- While doping cases in sport remains a problem around the world, western observers tend to single out China in an unfair way, according to two Australian scholars.

In an article entitled "Chinese swimming scandal: a strong defence by world anti-doping body, but narrative of cover-up remains", University of Canberra Professorial Fellow in Sport Tracey Holmes and University of Canberra Associate Professor Catherine Ordway analyzed the recent reports around the Chinese swimmer no-fault contamination case in 2021.

"When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later without sanction, many people - particularly in the Western world - immediately suspected a cover-up," said the article.

The Chinese swimmers tested positive for an "extremely low concentration" of trimetazidine (TMZ) at a national swimming event in 2021 after inadvertently being exposed to the substance through contamination. After World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Science Department and external legal counsel reviewed this case thoroughly, it accepted Chinese anti-doping authorities CHINADA's conclusion that "the athletes would be held to have no fault or negligence."

Holmes and Ordway pointed out that it's hard for WADA to change the current narrative "because putting the words 'China' and 'doping' together is a lightning rod in the current political climate..."

"Currently there are 23 people serving anti-doping suspensions in Australia. Do we feel personal or national shame for their wrongdoing?

"Every time the US team marches into an Olympic Games, or steps up onto a World Championships medal podium, do we point at them while recalling memories of the US Postal Service cycling team and the banned-for-life cyclist Lance Armstrong?

"But when it comes to China, many observers are quick to name and shame athletes, viewing every news story as some kind of proof the country must have a systemic, state-sanctioned doping program," read the article.

It said media hype about the case is likely to affect Chinese athletes preparing for the Paris Olympics.

"Stories in the media about a possible medal redistribution in the Tokyo Olympic swimming events have falsely raised the hopes of those who finished behind the Chinese athletes - and likely been an unwanted distraction for the Chinese team preparing for the Paris Olympics," it said.