Question Period Note: Contamination case in swimming

An investigation by the New York times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that, prior to the 2021 Summer Olympics, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance trimetazidine also known as TMZ. The swimmers were all cleared by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and were allowed to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The United States Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Officer, Travis Tygart, critiqued WADA’s handling of the case.

The Government of Canada continues to have confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The current situation demands transparency from all involved to restore the trust of athletes and the public.

The Government of Canada is pleased to see that WADA acted quickly and launched a review of its handling of the matter.

The interim report from the review found no wrongdoing on the part of WADA.

The Government of Canada is closely monitoring the situation and looks forward to seeing the final report.

On April 20, 2024, following a documentary on German television, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) made a public statement on Chinese Swimmers’ potential positive tests back in 2020 and 2021. The statement alleged that WADA and the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) secretly swept cases under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.  

WADA responded publicly stating that they are astonished and outraged by the false and defamatory remarks made by USADA.  

On April 23, 2024, WADA hosted a media conference to explain that, according to all available scientific evidence and intelligence, assessed and tested by legal and Anti-doping experts, WADA had no basis to challenge the explanation of environmental contamination provided by CHINADA in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.  

On April 25, 2024, the WADA Executive Committee met to discuss CHINADA’s no-fault contamination case. WADA then announced that they invited an independent prosecutor, Eric Cottier, from Switzerland, to conduct a thorough review of WADA’s handling of the matter. 

On May 9, 2024, the Bureau of the Ninth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Convention against Doping in Sport released a communiqué as a reaction to the current situation with the Chinese swimmers.  

The UNESCO communiqué highlights the need for open and transparent dialogue between all concerned parties, including the fact that governments need to identify the ways and means to address gaps in antidoping.  

During the May 17 Board meeting, WADA gave members a full outline of the work that it has carried out on the case from the moment it became aware of the positive tests in 2021 to date. WADA received broad support from stakeholders, including representatives of athletes, governments and the Sport Movement, as well as from WADA’s Founding President, Richard Pound.

On May 22, 2024, the United States House Select Committee on China asked the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to open a formal investigation into reports on the contamination case and the fact that the swimmers were allowed to compete. The House committee implored federal authorities to use their jurisdiction under the Rodchenkov AntiDoping Act.

On June 25, 2024, The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations met in the U.S. Congress to examine anti-doping measures in advance of the 2024 Olympics. The meeting shifted to the 23 Chinese swimmers’ situation, where witnesses Michael Phelps,
Allison Schmitt, and Travis Tygart testified at the meeting. Parties suggested that WADA could be at risk of losing its funding from the U.S.

The Independent Prosecutor released an Interim Report on
July 1, 2024, and WADA sent an invitation for an Extraordinary Meeting on July 9, 2024, to discuss the Report. Following this meeting, WADA released a statement welcoming the conclusions of the summary interim report delivered by
Mr. Cottier and shared that his full report will follow at a later date.

As of July 31, 2024, the International Olympic Committee has asked for talks between the WADA and the United States, including the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, to resolve the dispute over jurisdiction in doping matters.

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