Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (2025)

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (1)

Fei Liwei, of China, competes during a heat in the men's 400-meter freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Saturday in Nanterre, France. He's one of 11 Chinese swimmers competing in Paris who face questions over a 2021 sports doping case. Martin Meissner/AP hide caption

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Martin Meissner/AP

NPR is in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. For more of our coverage from the games head to our latest updates.

NANTERRE, France — Standing in a scrum of reporters Saturday night, after competing in the Olympic 400 meter freestyle final, China's Fei Liwei shrugged off questions about the doping scandal that has embroiled his national team.

"Our Chinese government on our team always tells us we have the clean model and the clean results and our results right now are based on hard work and training," Fei said, speaking through an interpreter.

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The 21-year-old from Hangzhou is one of 23 elite Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2021 ahead of the last Summer Games in Tokyo.

Eleven of those athletes are scheduled to compete in Paris.

Among them is two-time Olympic gold medal winner Zhang Yufei, who also told reporters she rejects the doping claims.

But in comments reported by the AFP news service, Zhang acknowledged the scandal and questions raised by fellow athletes weigh on her.

"I am very worried that my good friends to look at me with colored (suspicious) eyes and they do not want to compete with me," Zhang said.

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (3)

Zhang Yufei, of China, competes during a heat in the women's 100-meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Saturday in Nanterre, France. Ashley Landis/AP hide caption

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Ashley Landis/AP

Positive drug tests, kept quiet

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the lead global organization monitoring drug use by athletes, now acknowledges it kept the 2021 results secret and accepted China's explanation that the positive tests were the result of accidental contamination.

WADA never conducted its own independent investigation and allowed the athletes to continue competing without interruption.

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"We believe we are clean," Fei said. "We cooperate on all the tests with WADA. We oppose doping."

His comments came on a day when two other Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021 won an Olympic bronze medal in the women's 4-by-100 freestyle relay final.

The women were scheduled to take part in a press conference after their win, but failed to appear.

U.S. faces growing pushback over case

While Chinese athletes face intense scrutiny, the U.S. finds itself facing growing diplomatic pushback from international sports officials - and from official Chinese media.

At issue are American probes into WADA's handling of the case.

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Last week, the International Olympic Committee threatened to revoke Salt Lake City's 2034 Winter Games unless the U.S. backs off investigations by the U.S. Congress and the Justice Department.

Ingmar De Vos, an IOC committee member from Belgium said the criminal probe launched by the U.S. Department of Justice is "extremely worrying and basically, for us, unacceptable."

In a press conference in Paris, the head of WADA, Witold Banka, blasted the U.S. and suggested that American athletes are the ones who should be drug-tested more aggressively.

Echoing the IOC's accusation, Banka described U.S. concerns as part of a diplomatic power play designed to give American officials more clout.

"It’s highly incorrect that one country to impose jurisdiction on antidoping decisions on the rest of the world," Banka said.

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (6)

Witold Banka, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, attends a press conference at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Thursday in Paris, France. Michel Euler/AP/AP hide caption

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Michel Euler/AP/AP

During the press conference where Banka appeared, Chinese media repeatedly suggested their nation's athletes are being treated unfairly, with more aggressive testing in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics compared with other nations.

U.S. not backing down

WADA officials have said repeatedly that the case was handled properly, while refusing to explain why the test results were kept secret in an apparent break with drug testing protocol.

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So far at least, U.S. officials appear unwilling to back down. In a statement sent to NPR, U.S. lawmakers on a House panel probing the China doping scandal said pressure to drop their inquiry was inappropriate.

“It speaks volumes that the IOC would...protect WADA rather than work together to ensure it is fulfilling its mission to protect clean sport," the statement said.

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (8)

Former Olympic athletes Michael Phelps (left) and Allison Schmitt (right), listen as Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, center, testifies during a Congressional hearing examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/AP hide caption

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Rod Lamkey/AP

The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, suggested in a statement that diplomatic pressure to drop the case is part of an on-going coverup.

"If WADA has nothing to hide, they would welcome the chance to answer questions, not run and hide," Tygart said. "There are basic unanswered questions of how WADA allowed China to sweep 23 tests under the rug."

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Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows (2025)

FAQs

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations as diplomatic row grows? ›

Chinese swimmers at Paris Olympics deny doping accusations Chinese athletes say they compete "clean" despite positive drug tests in 2021 that were kept secret. Diplomatic tensions over the case continue to escalate as U.S. officials push for reform.

Are Chinese swimmers doping in 2024? ›

The New York Times reported last week that two more Chinese swimmers had tested positive, including one 2024 Olympian, for a banned substance in 2022 but were cleared by Chinese officials to compete.

Why are Chinese swimmers allowed to compete? ›

On July 30, the New York Times reported that two Chinese swimmers, one of whom is competing at the Paris Olympics, tested positive for an anabolic steroid, a banned performance enhancing substance, in 2022 but were allowed to continue competing without sanctions after Chinese anti-doping authorities cleared them.

What is the Chinese swim team scandal? ›

They were among 23 Chinese swimmers who returned positive doping tests ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. And although Chinese swimmers have been drug-tested twice as much as some other nations this year before heading to Paris, their performance has been met with scepticism.

Who is the Chinese swimmer in the 2024 Olympics? ›

China's Pan Zhanle wins gold and breaks a world record in the final of the men's 100-meter freestyle swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 31.

How many Chinese swimmers tested positive? ›

The Times in April reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a heart drug that can be used to boost performance, months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Why has Qin been drug tested so much? ›

China's swimmers had been tested on average five to seven times each in their first 10 days in France, and at all times of day and night, the national camp has claimed. Qin said: “This proves that the European and American teams feel threatened by the performances of the Chinese team in recent years.

How true is the story of the swimmers? ›

Yes. While certain scenes and elements of the film are fictionalised, The Swimmers on Netflix is based on the true story of Yusra and Sara Mardini as they fled Syria to Germany in search of a better life, and an Olympic dream.

Are Chinese swimmers clean? ›

Twenty-three Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine months before the last Olympics, in Tokyo, but were still allowed to compete after the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted an explanation from Chinese authorities that the athletes had stayed at a hotel with a contaminated kitchen.

What is the USA Swimming scandal? ›

A former high-level swimmer accused her Hall of Fame coach of sexually abusing her about 15 years ago when she was a minor and alleged USA Swimming and other organizations and individuals knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it, according to a federal lawsuit.

How many athletes from China are in the Paris Olympics? ›

Relying on its strengths in table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting, and diving, the Chinese team announced a 405-athlete roster, supported by 311 coaches and staff members.

How old was Michael Phelps at Beijing? ›

When American swimmer Michael Phelps, age 23, won his eighth gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing—breaking the record for most golds garnered at a single Games, set by another U.S. swimmer, Mark Spitz, at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich—the feat was hailed as one of the greatest individual achievements in ...

Who is the American girl representing China in Olympics? ›

Eileen Gu
Women's freestyle skiing
Representing China
2021 AspenHalfpipe
2021 AspenSlopestyle
2021 AspenBig air
16 more rows

Are Chinese athletes being tested more? ›

A foreign ministry spokesperson told NBC News on Wednesday that the number of drug tests being performed on Chinese swimmers "far exceeds that of athletes from other countries."

Who was disqualified in the 2024 Olympics swimming? ›

Alex Walsh went to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with a gold medal on her mind. The Nashville native and Harpeth Hall graduate looked like she was on her way Saturday when she was leading the 200 IM at the halfway point. She will leave instead with a "DQ" next to her name in her only event in these Olympics.

What sports are being removed from the Olympics 2024? ›

Baseball and softball will not be included in the Paris Olympics, after having made a return in Tokyo. Baseball is a men's-only sport at the Olympics, and has been officially featured six times at the Games since 1992.

How many China athletes are in the Olympics in 2024? ›

China at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Competitors388 in 33 sports
Flag bearer (opening)Ma Long & Feng Yu
Flag bearer (closing)Li Fabin & Ou Zixia
Medals Ranked 2ndGold 40 Silver 27 Bronze 24 Total 91
9 more rows

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