‘Maybe this sport is not fair’: US swimmers vent over doping controversy

INDIANAPOLIS – Faith in a level-playing field at international competitions has been shaken by reports that Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned substances ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021, US swimmers said on the eve of the Olympic trials in Indianapolis.

The New York Times reported in April that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for prescription heart drug trimetazidine before the Tokyo Games but were allowed to compete anyway.

A subsequent Times report on June 14 said three of them had also tested positive for another banned substance, clenbuterol, in 2016 and 2017 with two of those athletes going on to win gold in Tokyo.

“It’s really frustrating for athletes to always have in the back of our mind that maybe this sport’s not fair,” double Olympic gold medallist Lilly King said.

“We put everything on the line. Our privacy, everything that we do to compete on a level-playing field. It’s really frustrating to not have faith that others are doing the same thing.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on June 14 pushed back against criticism of its handling of the most recent Times report, saying the positive tests were due to the swimmers consuming contaminated meat, which it said was not an uncommon occurrence in that part of the world.

“The issue of contamination is well-known by the anti-doping community,” Wada director-general Olivier Niggli said.

“Over the years, there have been thousands of confirmed cases of contamination in its various forms, including more than 1,000 for meat contamination in Mexico, China, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and other countries.

“The athletes in question were three such cases. It is hardly surprising that... the source of the clenbuterol was confirmed to be food contamination.”

Cody Miller, who picked up a gold and a bronze at the Rio Games in 2016, was not convinced.

“It’s really disappointing and frustrating for all the athletes that do go through the (anti-doping testing) process on a regular basis. Like when they show up at my house when I’m trying to put my kids to bed or trying to feed them dinner and I have to go to the restroom with a stranger and pee in a cup,” he said.

Despite the controversy, US women’s national team coach Todd DeSorbo said morale was high among the swimmers headed into the trials, which will determine the 52-person team for the Paris Olympics.

“They are thinking about today, tomorrow, this meet, this competition. They’re focusing on themselves and getting ready to swim fast this week,” he said.
REUTERS, AFP