WADA sidelines own investigators over China athletes doping

During mid-2020, the investigative unit of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sent the agency's top officials a report, including a warning based on an interview it had conducted with a doctor who had worked in China’s sports ministry. As per the doctor, China had been running a state-backed doping programme. While the doctor's revelations were years old, they made eyeballs roll back then. She claimed that the Chinese athletes were cheating on the basis of undetectable amounts of a little-known prescription heart medication, trimetazidine, or TMZ, which, in turn, can help increase stamina, endurance, and recovery. However, WADA has now sidelined its own investigators, raising eyebrows.

The decision by WADA leaders to prompt its investigators to remain silent has raised questions about the agency's response to repeated incidents of possible doping by Chinese athletes. However, the agency has backed its decision, claiming the reviews showed 'no basis to challenge the contamination explanation' given by the Chinese.

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In a statement, as per a report in NY Times, WADA said that the decision was warranted because "a thorough legal and scientific review of the facts, including by external legal counsel," showed "no basis to challenge the contamination explanation" offered by the Chinese.

"So there was no reason to refer the matter to WADA I&I at that stage,” the agency further opined.

However, the reasoning provided by WADA has not been well received. Several antidoping experts claim that WADA should have never accepted China’s explanation for the swimmers’ positive tests at face value. It remains to be seen what the conclusion comes in this matter, being stretched since 2020. 

Over the years, doping has been one of the worst nightmares for WADA, and any similar case puts the agency under immense scrutiny.