As we head into 2025, let’s recap one of many longest-running tales of 2024: the fallout from the 23 Chinese language Swimmers who examined optimistic again in 2021.
There have been plenty of updates and new tales and fights which have began on account of this scandal for the reason that unique article on April twentieth. Here’s a full recap/timeline of all the pieces that occurred final 12 months.
- April 20: SwimSwam receives studies that the American ladies from the silver medal 800 freestyle relay in Tokyo have been knowledgeable they might be receiving the gold medal as a result of a doping violation from the gold medal-winning Chinese language relay. These studies have been later verified to be unfaithful.
- April 20: On the identical time SwimSwam wrote an article on the American relay, an Australian newspaper, The Herald Solar, launched an article about 23 Chinese language swimmers testing optimistic for trimetazidine (TMZ) in early 2021. WADA advised the Herald Solar that the outcomes have been as a result of contamination not doping.
- April 20: WADA releases a press release confirming the optimistic exams and stating CHINADA adopted the suitable reporting procedures, and that they agreed with the evaluation that the optimistic outcomes weren’t the results of intentional doping and have been attributable to contamination.
- April 20: USADA and WADA start to spar over this case. Travis Tygart, USADA CEO, releases a press release about USADA’s disappointment in the best way the case has been dealt with, and WADA launched one other assertion condemning his assertion and threatening authorized motion and mentioning earlier USADA contamination instances. USADA responded simply two hours later condemning the dearth of transparency and suspension.
- April 21: Athletes, coaches, and countries start responding to the allegations with a mixture of outrage and assist.
- April 22: Full record of optimistic athletes comes out. The record consists of Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalists Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, and Qin Haiyang.
- April 22: China responds to the story, calling allegations of widespread doping “faux information”.
- April 23: WADA holds a press convention concerning the scenario, utilizing USADA contamination case as precedent. Travis Tygart denies this occurred.
- April 25: USADA requires an unbiased investigation into WADA and their dealing with of the case, creating a listing of “infractions” dedicated by WADA.
- April 25: WADA invited unbiased prosecutor Eric Cottier to analyze their dealing with of the doping case. Cottier was searching for the reply to 2 questions. Did WADA present bias? Was their determination to not enchantment affordable?
- April 27: IOC comes out in assist of WADA. President Thomas Bach mentioned he has full confidence they dealt with the case appropriately.
- April 29: WADA releases FAQ about their reasoning for dealing with the best way they did.
- Might 2: USADA releases a press release condemning WADA FAQ for “doubling-down on half truths.”
- June 14: WADA releases a press release asserting that three of the 23 optimistic swimmers had earlier optimistic exams from 2016 and 2017 for a unique drug. These exams have been additionally dominated contamination because of the drug being present in meat sources throughout the nation.
- June 26: America Congress holds a listening to concerning the problems with WADA and Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt put WADA on blast whereas urging for reform.
- June 27: WADA president Witold Banka calls the US out for hypocrisy and “taking part in politics” after the congressional listening to. Travis Tygart responded with a press release of his personal about Banka declining his invitation to attend the listening to and persevering with to defend China whereas not explaining why they didn’t observe the suitable processes.
- July 4: World Aquatics confirms america has launched a federal investigation into WADA.
- July 10: Impartial prosecutor Eric Cottier releases findings that WADA confirmed no bias of their dealing with of the optimistic drug exams. Cottier additionally claimed their determination to not enchantment the case additional was affordable.
- July 10: Travis Tygart releases one other statement condemning the outcomes and saying there are plenty of questions nonetheless unanswered.
- July 18: WADA founding president Dick Pound claims USADA is in violation of the anti-doping code for a federal investigation they usually may lose their means to host future Olympic Video games.
- July 24: IOC features a clause within the contract for the 2034 Salt Lake Metropolis Winter Olympics that the host should respect the “supreme authority” of WADA.
- July 24: WADA pronounces they are going to be taking USADA to the Impartial Compliance Assessment Committee for the primary time
- July 25: United States congressional committee presses WADA president Witold Banka for solutions to “unresolved questions”. They launch a press release ending with 13 questions they’re requesting solutions to by August 18th.
- July 30: The New York Instances releases a narrative that two Chinese language swimmers examined optimistic in 2022, and have been cleared on the idea of contaminated burgers.
- August 2: US introduces invoice that will deny WADA $3.62 million of funding for 2024.
- August 4: 2024 Paris Olympics conclude and 7 of the 23 Chinese language swimmers who examined optimistic in 2021 win no less than one medal. Two received particular person medals, Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun.
- August 8: WADA calls out USADA for utilizing confidential informants and permitting optimistic athletes to compete for info on different athletes who’re doping. Tygart claims WADA knew of those instances and is now bringing them up as a “smear” try.
- September 6: WADA releases letter calling out USADA for poor testing practices and condemning NCAA testing protocols.
- September 15: Eric Cottier’s last report is launched confirming that WADA did nothing unsuitable. The report additionally confirms that China did break the foundations, however there’s nothing to be accomplished about that now.
- November 19: USADA releases a response to WADA’s September sixth letter within the type of two letters from Tobie Smith and Travis Tygart.
- December 4: WADA approves rule and course of change suggestions based mostly on Cottier’s last report at their annual assembly. Additionally they focus on the finances for subsequent 12 months with and with out the US contribution.
- December 24: NYT releases an article claiming that unbiased scientists have plenty of questions concerning the knowledge used to clear the Chinese language swimmers. They declare the info doesn’t rule out doping in any respect.
Right here’s to 2025.
