The US government is investigating the Chinese swimming doping scandal

VaselineJuly 6, 2024

0 1 minute read

The US government is investigating the Chinese swimming doping scandal

Steve Keating
| Reuters

World Aquatics chief executive Brent Nowicki has been subpoenaed by the US government to testify in an investigation into how 23 Chinese swimmers avoided punishment after testing positive for banned drugs weeks before the Olympics in Tokyo.

In May, a US House of Representatives panel asked the Justice Department to launch investigations ahead of this summer’s Paris Olympics into the doping case that has rocked the sport.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has come under increasing criticism and pressure to provide answers about how those swimmers, some who won gold medals in Tokyo, escaped punishment.

“World Aquatics can confirm that its chief executive, Brent Nowicki, has been served with a subpoena by the United States government,” World Aquatics said in a statement to Reuters.

“He is working to schedule a meeting with the government, which in all likelihood will avoid having to testify before a grand jury.”

The FBI, in a statement to Reuters on Friday, said it could not confirm or deny any investigation.

Representatives for the US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WADA said it was aware of the investigation but had not been contacted by law enforcement and again defended its handling of the case.

“WADA diligently reviewed the Chinese swimmers’ case file, consulted with scientific and legal experts and ultimately determined that it was unable to challenge the contamination scenario so that an appeal was not warranted,” it said WADA in a statement.

“Guided by science and expert consultation, we uphold that good faith determination in the face of the incomplete and misleading news reports on which this investigation appears to be based.”

An independent investigation into WADA’s handling of the case by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier could be published as early as next week.

Contributed by: Rohith Nair.

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VaselineJuly 6, 2024

0 1 minute read

Vaseline

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