WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Ba?ka demanding his full cooperation with an independent investigation launched into WADA’s failure to enforce international anti-doping standards ahead of the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Seven months before the Games, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the same banned substance but were still allowed to compete. Many of these swimmers went on to win medals, including three gold medals, and are expected to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.  

New York Times Report Revealed Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Performance-Enhancing Drug Months Before Tokyo Olympics

“The New York Times revealed that twenty-three top Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ)—a powerful performance-enhancing drug—just months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.  The excuse from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was that the swimmers had ingested the banned substance unknowingly. Despite these questionable findings, the swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics after PRC officials unilaterally cleared them of doping and WADA chose not to investigate the matter further. Nearly half of these Chinese swimmers went on to win medals at the Olympics, including three golds. American athletes—including Katie Ledecky, the winningest female swimmer in world history—were cheated out of the coveted gold medal as a result.”

WADA Did Not Investigate Positive Drug Tests or Suspend Accused Swimmers

“According to international anti-doping rules, WADA could have appealed the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA)’s decision, investigated the source of the positive tests, and temporarily suspended the accused swimmers. Instead, WADA chose to take CHINADA at its word. Neutral anti-doping leaders from across the world have called WADA’s decision into question and we believe it must be revisited.”

WADA Has Long History of Questionable Ethics and Must Provide Transparency

“It is not just this one incident that causes concern for many athletes, anti-doping agencies, and fans across the world, but it is the fact that WADA has long shown questionable ethical behavior. For over a decade, WADA has taken commercial sponsorships from organizations with questionable ties. For example, WADA has a sponsorship deal with Chinese company ANTA Sports, which also sponsors the PRC’s national swimming team implicated in this scandal.  This partnership amounts to WADA selling access to the regulators of the preeminent international anti-doping agency, gives the impression of impropriety and a conflict of interest, and raises questions about WADA’s relationship with other state sponsors of doping. The global anti-doping system—a bedrock of the international sports community—is built upon trust and accountability. When WADA loses the international community’s trust, it can no longer effectively do its job. With that in mind, we urge you to fully cooperate and provide transparent findings to the public following the independent investigation launched into the case.”

Click here to view the full letter.