‘What happened to strict liability?’ Adam Peaty Hits Back at WADA over Chinese Doping
Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Adam Peaty has hit back at the World Anti-Doping Agency over its handling of the reported 23 positive tests within the Chinese swimming program.
Peaty took to X, formerly Twitter, to conjecture as to why WADA went about it absolving a widespread positive test in the Chinese camp in early 2021 and further why it wasn’t disclosed until being brought to light by journalistic outlets this week.
1. Why not release this information at the time, who really benefits from the lack of transparency and secrecy?
2. What happened to strict liability? Whether someone benefits or not, surely at this scale it proves it’s systematic?
So disappointing from WADA. https://t.co/DiWlqCWX4h
— Adam Peaty OBE (@adam_peaty) April 20, 2024
Peaty wrote:
1. Why not release this information at the time, who really benefits from the lack of transparency and secrecy?
2. What happened to strict liability? Whether someone benefits or not, surely at this scale it proves it’s systematic?
So disappointing from WADA.
His British teammate James Guy also weighed in, while advocating on behalf of countryman Duncan Scott, who finished second to one of those implicated in a positive test, Wang Shun.
Wow. Ban them all and never compete again. pic.twitter.com/ULqS6SKpNw
— James Guy (@Jimbob95goon) April 20, 2024
WADA in a statement confirmed reporting that 23 swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine in early 2021. WADA agreed with the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency’s finding of widespread contamination as the cause. In a statement Saturday, WADA said it underwent a review process “which spanned several weeks” of the entire case file from CHINADA and said it was, “not in a position to disprove the possibility that contamination was the source of TMZ and it was compatible with the analytical data in the file.”
Peaty also took aim at why this information didn’t come from WADA until prodded by investigations into it, by the Daily Telegraph in Australia, the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.
Five-time world champion Leon Marchand also responded:
Somewhere, Rick DeMont is rolling his eyes!
Somewhere, Rick DeMont, American swimmer at the 1972 Olympics is rolling his eyes in disgust. Although he listed a prescription asthma medicine on his pre-games profile, the authorities neglected to alert him that it was among the “banned substances.” And after he won the 400 meter freestyle, they demanded he return his medal.
& Shana Jack the Australian swimmer.