WADA to hold extraordinary meeting in Chinese swimmers case

The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Monday it would hold an extraordinary meeting this week to discuss the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a prescription heart drug.

The virtual meeting of its foundation board was scheduled for Friday at 7 am local time (1100 GMT).

“The objective of the Board meeting is to provide members with the opportunity to be further informed on this important matter by WADA experts and to be able to ask any questions that they may have,” the agency said in a statement.

WADA came under fire in April after it was revealed that the Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine — which can enhance performance — ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The swimmers were not suspended or sanctioned after WADA accepted the explanation of Chinese authorities that the results were caused by food contamination at a hotel where they had stayed.

The head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart, has called the situation a “potential cover-up” with the positive tests never made public at the time.

WADA has invited an independent prosecutor, former Swiss public prosecutor Eric Cottier, to review the global anti-doping body’s handling of the case.

International Olympic Committee boss Thomas Bach has backed WADA in its handling of the case, telling AFP also that the Chinese swimmers could compete at the Paris Olympics this year if cleared.