CHINADA hits back at politicization of contamination case involving Chinese swimmers

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Thursday released a statement refuting claims by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), calling them "out of context with emotional and political rhetoric and mere preconceptions."

USADA CEO Travis Tygart testified at a congressional hearing in the United States on Tuesday, claiming, "WADA sat back and allowed China to disregard the rules" in dealing with TMZ contamination cases involving 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021.

CHINADA firmly rejected his claims, stating that Tygart was speaking "out of context with emotional and political rhetoric and mere preconceptions, made hostile attacks on China's anti-doping work, accused the Chinese athletes of intentional doping without any factual basis, and vilified CHINADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for jointly 'covering up' the positive tests of the Chinese swimmers."

"This has severely undermined the reputation of CHINADA, WADA, and the global anti-doping system," said CHINADA.

CHINADA criticized USADA's brazen "long-arm" jurisdiction, calling it "undoubtedly a manifestation of out-and-out hegemonism and imperiousness."

"Its intention to manipulate the case for political purposes is all too clear, which runs counter to the principles of fairness, justice, and integrity it has claimed to champion," CHINADA noted. "USADA is seeking to undermine the well-functioning world anti-doping order that the anti-doping community has worked hard to build and shake up or even subvert the global anti-doping governance system, which is designed to serve athletes all over the world equally, so as to seize the global anti-doping leadership role. We strongly reject and oppose such a move."

Regarding USADA's request at the hearing to review the case file of the TMZ contamination case, CHINADA pointed out its purpose "is to legitimize the illegal access to and unauthorized disclosure of the information in the case file by media outlets including the New York Times and ARD, and then form distorted and misleading conclusions through the so-called review and investigation with already preconceived judgments, so as to reach the purpose of politicizing the contamination case."

"Such a request, without any legal basis, is in violation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the legitimate rights and interests of the athletes. We will never accept the request for the publication of the case file made by USADA and certain members of the U.S. Congress, and we resolutely oppose the impudent request for reopening the investigation as claimed by USADA," it said.

CHINADA revealed that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese athletes were still tested by international organizations. The samples collected in China are not only analyzed by the Beijing Laboratory but also proactively sent to many overseas laboratories by CHINADA, including labs in Seibersdorf, Barcelona, Cologne, Ghent, Paris, and Sydney. From 2018 to 2023, respectively 3,360, 2,433, 2,295, 7,901, 7,714, and 9,695 samples were sent overseas for analysis.

It also compared the tests conducted in China and the U.S., noting that CHINADA carried out 29,388 tests in 2023, a stark contrast to the 7,773 tests conducted by USADA in the same year.

"We were even more surprised to learn that 31% of American athletes under the Code were not sufficiently tested in the 12-month period prior to the Tokyo Games. How can athletes around the world be convinced of the fairness USADA claims with such a low level of testing and monitoring? How does USADA perform its duties? In what position can USADA criticize WADA and China's anti-doping work? And how can a CEO whose integrity is questionable convince people of what he says and does?" CHINADA questioned in the statement.

While USADA is pointing fingers at China's handling of the contamination cases, CHINADA pointed out: "When dealing with doping cases involving American athletes, USADA often exempted the athletes from punishment by finding no fault or negligence on the grounds of contamination. However, it frequently lacked substantial evidence when determining the source of contamination.

"In addition to its claims of medicine and meat contamination, there were also cases of contamination through transdermal absorption and activities such as contact with pets, kissing, and sexual contact.

"There was even one instance where a hydrochlorothiazide positive result was attributed to contamination in the municipal water supply.

"Imagine how many athletes in the U.S. would test positive for hydrochlorothiazide each year if such contamination were possible through municipal water," CHINADA said.

As American sprinter Erriyon Knighton was cleared to run in the domestic Olympic trial after he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Trenbolone in March, food contamination became the excuse following USADA's investigation, which CHINADA found hard to accept.

"It is well known that Trenbolone is a protein assimilation agent with strong effects on strength and explosiveness and is not a common contaminant. Hundreds of Trenbolone positive cases have occurred around the world in recent years, and publicly available information shows that only three American athletes have escaped sanction by claiming food contamination, while the rest of the positive cases were essentially given a four-year suspension," it said.

"We strongly call on USADA to review its approach and principles in dealing with doping cases, to ensure that its actions align with the objectives of the global anti-doping system, and to demonstrate due integrity and consistency in its anti-doping efforts in order to regain the trust of the international community in its work," CHINADA continued.

At the end of the statement, CHINADA expressed its firm support for the current world anti-doping system.

"Since WADA was established 25 years ago, the efforts it has been making are to promote the harmonization and integrity of the world anti-doping system. The World Anti-Doping Code and the international standards have gradually developed as the cornerstone of this system, which has been growing with better governance," it said.

"We have grown from this global anti-doping system, and we have always resolutely defended the integrity and effectiveness of this system through our work based on independence, impartiality, and professionalism. We sincerely wish to work with all stakeholders to protect the stability, unity, and improvement of the global anti-doping system," it concluded.