23 positive and pardoned by WADA. The names involved

A sensational doping scandal is ready to overwhelm the world of swimming less than one hundred days before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics. After two years of preparing this investigation, the German journalist Ard and the New York Times published a series of articles referring to an incredible case of doping involving China, with 23 Chinese swimmers testing positive a few months ago. before the Tokyo Olympic Games and which were not stopped by WADA.

Ard and the New York Times certainly have very serious accusations, which also mentioned the names of the athletes involved and among them there are also two athletes who won the gold medal in Tokyo as Zhang Yufei and Wang Shunin addition to that of one of the new phenomena of international swimming, Qin Haiyang, big favorite in the breaststroke in Paris 2024 and main opponent of the British Adam Peaty and our Nicolò Martinenghi.

The twenty-three Chinese athletes trimetazidine would have tested positive, but it is precisely on the subsequent decisions of the various federal bodies that the investigation launches the main accusations. We talk about an internal investigation by the Chinese federation, who allegedly found traces of this substance in the kitchen of the hotel where the national team was staying. An explanation that was sensationally accepted by WADA, which did not open any investigations and obviously did not disqualify the athletes involved.

WADA was interviewed by ARD journalists and issued a statement in which he argued that there was no concrete basis to dispute the alleged contamination and that the same samples continued to be once negative and once positive. Explanations that the German newspaper immediately denied thanks to the help of some scientists, who were consulted on the issue.

This new doping scandal will certainly have further consequences in the coming weeks and especially as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, where China presents itself as one of the best nations in the world in swimming and perhaps the one to beat together with the United States.