Following allegations that 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games despite testing positive for a banned substance, World Aquatics has established a five-person anti-doping audit review committee. The committee, comprised of Miguel Cardenal, Ken Lalo, Annabelle Williams, Florent Manaudou, and Fernando Possenti, will investigate the situation and provide recommendations for enhancing the organization’s ability to handle similar cases in the future.
In a letter to member federations, World Aquatics expressed its commitment to improving the anti-doping review and decision-making process within the federation. The goal is to maintain athletes’ confidence in the system and ensure that similar cases do not occur in the future. Wada acknowledged that it could not refute China’s Anti-Doping Agency’s claim that the swimmers unintentionally took a heart medication called trimetazidine (TMZ).
The independent investigation led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier is currently underway to scrutinize Wada’s handling of the case. The findings are expected within two months and aim to address any concerns about the anti-doping movement. Meanwhile, US athlete representative organizations have called for an independent investigation, while International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has expressed his trust in Wada’s integrity.