Swiss Independent Prosecutor Eric Cottier presented his final report to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Executive Committee on Thursday, concluding that WADA's handling of doping cases involving 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021 was impartial and that its decision not to appeal was reasonable.
The report, which scrutinized the investigation by the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA), clears WADA of any bias in its treatment of the Chinese athletes. It confirms that the decision not to pursue further legal action against the swimmers, who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), was based on sound reasoning.
Earlier this year, several Western media outlets reported that multiple Chinese swimmers had tested positive for TMZ in 2021 but faced no punishment. WADA swiftly refuted these claims, calling the media coverage "misleading and potentially defamatory."
In a public statement, WADA acknowledged that its thorough investigation determined the positive test results were caused by contamination from hotel food. The agency also dismissed separate allegations from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that China was engaged in a doping cover-up, stating that these accusations were "unsubstantiated" and "erroneous."
Professor Olivier Rabin, WADA's senior director of science and medicine, explained that WADA's scientific team explored several hypotheses to verify the contamination scenario, even seeking new pharmacokinetic and metabolic data on TMZ from its manufacturer.
Despite WADA's transparency, USADA pressed forward, accusing WADA of concealing the truth and prompting an independent investigation, which was overseen by Cottier.
In his 59-page report, Cottier summarized the facts and reviewed three expert opinions. He firmly rejected claims that WADA had shown favoritism toward China, emphasizing that neither CHINADA nor Chinese authorities had interfered with the agency's investigation. Cottier stated that WADA acted in full compliance with its established review protocols.
"All the elements taken into consideration by WADA, whether from the file produced by CHINADA or from the investigation procedures carried out by itself, make the decision not to lodge an appeal appear reasonable, both in terms of the facts and the applicable rules," Cottier concluded.
Following the submission of the report, WADA Director General Olivier Niggli reiterated that the agency's review process was "thorough, professional and followed the rules." Niggli also reaffirmed WADA's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of fairness and transparency in all its investigations.
Reporter | Lydia Liu, Yang Lin (intern)
Cover photo | CFP
Editor | Steven Yuen, Monica Liu, James
