Joint Statement from Global Athlete & FairSport Following the Interim WADA Report on the Positive Drug Tests of 23 Chinese Swimmers
9 July 2024: The interim report released today by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) addressing the allegations of the coverup of 23 Chinese swimmers’ positive tests for trimetazidine (TMZ) was inherently flawed from the outset due to its limited scope and independence. Today’s report, by design, continues to support WADA’s narrative of no wrongdoing and fails to provide the necessary transparency to effectively debunk this case.
Athletes, the anti-doping world and the public have called for transparency from the day these allegations were reported by ARD (German TV) and the New York Times. Instead of embracing these calls with integrity, WADA instructed a limited scope review to be undertaken by Mr Eric Cottier, whose independence has been questioned, to determine if there was a bias towards the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and whether their decision not to challenge an appeal was ‘reasonable’.
The report, as expected, does not provide sufficient evidence to support Cottier’s findings and conclusions – it also does not explain why 23 Chinese athletes were not provisionally suspended with mandatory public disclosure. The information in the report is based upon the documents that Cottier has had access to, but it does not transparently share any of this information and documentation. Crucial documents such as the CHINADA report, internal emails and text exchanges that led WADA and World Aquatics to make their decision, and other reports continue to remain sealed. The sporting world has therefore been left to blindly trust that this report has accurately and fairly analysed these concealed documents. This lack of transparency is extremely disconcerting amid the widespread distrust in WADA and the global anti-doping system.
The report states that WADA’s chances of successful appeal were relatively low and indicated that financial restraints were a contributing factor for not appealing the CHINADA case to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It is not WADA’s role to calculate success, it’s WADA role to ensure the Code is followed regardless of the calculated risk. Instead of protecting clean sport with an appeal, WADA is spending resources engaging a leading law firm to protect its members from potentially being subpoenaed in the USA and on an internal investigation to determine where the leak originated.
Today’s futile report reinforces what athletes have been requesting for years – reform and restructuring of the anti-doping movement and its leadership. Until all related documents are made public, trust in the system will not be regained and WADA’s position as the global regulator will continue to be challenged. As we saw with the Russian doping scandal, it was investigative journalism that uncovered the truth – now, against the hopes of WADA and World Aquatics, the questions and media attention of this case will not cease until transparency, truth and justice are enacted.
FairSport is an independent foundation dedicated to eradicating cheating in sport. We support confidential sources who speak up to unmask doping, and we educate the global public on the value of honesty and integrity in sport.
Global Athlete is an international athlete-led movement guiding positive change in world sport to collectively address the balance of power between athletes and administrators. We aim to help athletes gain a more representative voice in world sport, recognising that the neglect and suppression of the athlete voice has gone on for too long.