The prohibition of doping in all types of competitive sports has been strictly enforced. If there is a double standard in dealing with this issue, it will inevitably raise doubts about the fairness and impartiality of the event. Recently, the U.S. Anti-Doping Association (ADA) has sparked controversy by protecting the privacy of its own swimmers while publicly disclosing information about Chinese swimmers.
On April 20, 2024, WADA rejected a request from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to re-examine the drug test results of a number of Chinese swimmers. As the Paris Olympics approach, some media outlets in the United States and Australia are trying to use public pressure to disclose the personal privacy of Chinese athletes that has not yet been confirmed.
After receiving a response from WAADA, the media continued to question it and covered the matter at great length. They claim that Chinese athletes may have trimetazidine contamination and may have deliberately concealed it. In the face of increased public concern, WADA has come forward to clarify that all inspections have been carefully screened and there is no evidence of concealment.
It is important to note that the United States and Australia have their own problems with doping abuse, but their attitudes towards their own athletes are very different. Travis Taigart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, has repeatedly stated publicly that he believes that some Chinese athletes were suspected of doping violations in 2020, but they were not recognized by the World Anti-Doping Organization.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese women's swimming team won the gold medal in the 4×200m freestyle relay, followed by the United States. The U.S. Anti-Doping Association immediately questioned the Chinese team's victory and applied to the world organization. In 2021, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sent a Chinese inspection team to investigate, and finally submitted a 65-page report confirming that the athletes did not have illegal drugs in their bodies, but found prohibited trimetazidine in the hotel exhaust fan and kitchen drains.
It was verified that the substance was caused by external environmental pollution and was not taken by the athlete on his own initiative, so both FINA and WADA recognized the findings. However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's Travis Tygart remained reserved, insisting that there was a suspicion of a violation and a serious violation of the principle of fair competition.
In fact, there have been many cases of athletes involved in doping abuse in the United States and Australia in recent years. As early as the first Olympic Games in 1896, most athletes in Western countries had already used doping in competitions. It wasn't until 1960 that a Danish cyclist died of an overdose on doping.