(Beijing) China’s national anti-doping agency responded Monday to a New York Times report claiming that three Chinese swimmers named in a doping scandal had been implicated in previous cases, accusing the newspaper of violating “ethics and Morals of the Media.”
The US daily reported Friday that three Chinese swimmers among 23 embroiled in a doping scandal ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics had tested positive for banned substances in separate cases several years earlier.
According to the article, the three athletes – including two 2021 Olympic gold medalists and a current world record holder – tested positive for clenbuterol in 2016 and 2017.
Chinese authorities had maintained that the three athletes had inadvertently ingested the substance through contaminated meat, and no disciplinary action was taken.
“We have noticed the unauthorized disclosure of documents and non-public information, as well as the violation of the privacy of athletes (including minors) by media outlets like the New York Times,” l Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA).
The body claims that the newspaper “misinterpreted positive clenbuterol results caused by meat contamination as intentional doping by athletes.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) indicated on Friday that the three athletes in question had clenbuterol levels between “six and 50 times lower” than the minimum reporting threshold currently used by the agency, without however specifying the reason why the three cases were not made public at the time.
“This is a violation of media ethics and morality, an attempt to mislead the public about anti-doping work, and a serious blow to the reputation of WADA, Chinada and the global anti-doping system,” the Chinese agency said. It said it “reserves the right to take appropriate legal action against the New York Times” and other media outlets.
