The Association of International Summer Olympic Federations expressed concern today over the investigation launched by the US into the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for anti-doping in 2021 but were not sanctioned.
The association believes that this investigation represents a threat to the general principles against doping.
The Lausanne-based organization is "deeply concerned" that the chief executive of swimming umbrella body World Aquatics has been ordered to testify as part of the investigation.
The American investigation "threatens to undermine the basic principles" of anti-doping, which rely on the universal jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to "ensure the integrity and consistency of the rules in all sports and countries, the association reminded.
"The investigation could lead international federations to consider the risks associated with hosting future international events in the US," the statement said.
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday confirmed its "full confidence" in the World Anti-Doping Agency, following the presentation on Tuesday of an interim investigation report into the affair of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for doping in 2021 but were not punished. According to Eric Cottier, a retired Swiss prosecutor who was mandated to investigate the allegations at the end of April, WADA did not "favor" China by choosing not to punish its swimmers.
Kotje said it was food contamination with trimetazidine, a molecule banned since 2014, which was found in a test of Chinese swimmers.
The report assessed that there was no need to appeal WADA's decision and added that the lack of punishment was a "sensible decision".
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