China anti-doping authority rebuts allegations regarding athletes' positive tests for metabolites

China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Wednesday blasted a report by The New York Times published on Tuesday, which it says distorts and misrepresents facts about two elite Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2022 and were found no wrongdoing in the case.

According to CHINADA, the athletes were provisionally suspended after trace amounts of the anabolic steroid metandienone were found in their tests.

After an extensive investigation, which included testing meat samples and nutritional supplements, the exact source of contamination could not be determined, CHINADA said, as it concluded that the athletes had ingested the steroid unwittingly and cleared them of wrongdoing in late 2023.

The results of such cases, where athletes are found to be without fault or negligence, are not made public to protect the athletes' rights, CHINADA said. This decision allowed the swimmers to resume competition after being provisionally suspended for over a year.

The decision was communicated to WADA and World Aquatics (WA), both of which endorsed CHINADA's findings.

CHINADA accused The New York Times of politicizing doping issues and attempting to disrupt the competitive environment of the Paris Olympics.

"The New York Times' insistence on politicizing the doping issue and frequently sensationalizing the global problem of food contamination is aimed at disrupting the order of the Paris Olympics swimming competition and undermining the psychological state and competitive ability of Chinese athletes," CHINADA said in its statement. "This is extremely unfair and unethical."

The organization highlighted that meat contamination with banned substances is a global issue, with similar cases occurring in many countries.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has also reviewed the Chinese athletes' case, which found no evidence to dispute the contamination scenario, it said in a statement released on Tuesday.

WADA acknowledged the complexity of food contamination cases and emphasized the need for ongoing review and investigation into such incidents globally.

It also noted the prevalence of contamination cases worldwide and announced an investigation into the scale and risk of meat contamination with metandienone in China and other countries.

CHINADA highlighted a similar case involving American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for the anabolic steroid trenbolone but was cleared by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to compete at the Paris Olympics, citing meat contamination.