This Monday, the Chinese government classified as “false” doping allegations by 23 of its top 2021 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine, who defended themselves in an investigation by German public television ARD and the New York Times.
“These reports are erroneous and untrue,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
Three months before the 2024 Paris Olympics, to be held from July 26 to August 11, an investigation by ARD and the New York Times found that 23 top Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine in early 2021.
Of the 23 Chinese who tested positive, 13 took part in Tokyo 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic a few weeks later.
An investigation by China’s Ministry of Public Security led to a report from the China Anti-Doping Agency (Chinad) in March 2021 that concluded “food contamination.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency said on Saturday it was “unable to refute the possibility of contamination as a source of trimetazidine,” a substance banned since 2014 to improve blood circulation.
“I think the World Anti-Doping Agency has given a very clear answer. After a thorough and detailed investigation into this incident, it was determined that the athletes involved had consumed contaminated drugs without their knowledge,” Wang continued.
The official stressed that “the Chinese government has always maintained a zero-tolerance stance on doping, abiding by global regulations and resolutely protecting the physical and mental health of athletes.”
“We defend fair competition in sports events and actively contribute to the global fight against doping,” concluded Wang Wenbin.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.