Chinese athletes are once again dazzling the world at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, smashing records and bringing home gold. 🏅 But amidst the celebrations, some are casting shadows over their achievements.
Earlier this year, a New York Times article claimed that 23 top Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) but faced no penalties, even competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of a \"cover-up\" in accepting China's findings that the swimmers unknowingly ingested TMZ from contaminated food.
WADA responded by launching an independent investigation, which found no evidence of favoritism. Despite this, U.S. officials threatened to sanction WADA by withholding over $3 million in membership fees, pushing for laws that would give them the power to oversee global anti-doping efforts.
Witold Banka, WADA's President, voiced concerns at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Paris on July 24: \"This cannot be allowed to stand.\" He warned that the U.S.'s actions could isolate them from the global anti-doping community.
📊 Data tells a different story. Chinese athletes undergo more rigorous testing than many of their competitors. On average, each Chinese swimmer was tested 21 times leading up to the Paris Games, compared to just six for Americans, five for Italians, and four for Australians. Most importantly, only 0.2% of Chinese athletes had doping violations in 2022, significantly lower than figures in the U.S. and Canada.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei, who blazed through this year's Paris Olympics, questioned the bias: \"Why didn't athletes like Phelps face the same scrutiny when they shattered records and won multiple gold medals?\" 🏊♂️💨 She emphasized that Chinese athletes endure rigorous and sometimes tedious testing processes by official agencies like WADA.
\"I don't think the incident will have a serious impact on us,\" Zhang said confidently. \"Because we are innocent. The World Aquatics and all relevant parties have sorted it out very clearly.\"
Online, many rallied behind the Chinese athletes. \"It's just pure racism!\" one comment declared, echoing the frustrations of many who believe that prejudice is overshadowing true athletic brilliance.
As the Olympics continue, it's clear that the spirit of competition should be about unity and excellence, not unfounded allegations. Let's celebrate the athletes who pour their hearts into these games, inspiring the world with their dedication and talent. 🌍❤️
Reference(s):
How U.S. shadow looms over the Olympics and its organizations
cgtn.com
