https://www.scmp.com/rss/507893/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters India has been elevated to a list of nations including Russia where there is an “extremely high” risk of doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Monday. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) joins the likes of Russia, Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ukraine in the AIU’s highest rating of Category A after being moved up from Category B. Category A means India’s athletes must now comply with more stringent anti-doping requirements, including minimum testing thresholds for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3350758/indian-athletes-face-tougher-dope-testing-federation-banished-highest-risk-bracket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3350758/indian-athletes-face-tougher-dope-testing-federation-banished-highest-risk-bracket?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Leaders at the World Anti-Doping Agency are considering adopting a rule that could bar President Donald Trump and all US government officials from attending major international events – even if they take place on American soil. A few coming up are as big as they get: this summer’s World Cup, the LA Olympics in 2028, the Winter Games in Utah in 2034. This is not a fight of Trump’s choosing, but rather one being pursued by Wada itself, which has been the subject of bipartisan and virtually... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3346812/wada-takes-next-step-fight-us-could-ban-trump-world-cup-la-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3346812/wada-takes-next-step-fight-us-could-ban-trump-world-cup-la-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:24:10 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The United States won its first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics when ski racer Breezy Johnson claimed the honour at the women’s downhill, though she later broke her medal while jumping for joy. “People are jealous of people with Olympic gold medals. They’re not necessarily jealous of the journey it took to get those medals,” the 30-year-old athlete said, per AP. “I don’t think my journey is something that many people are envious of, and it’s been a tough road, but sometimes you just have... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343062/meet-breezy-johnson-lgbtq-athlete-who-won-us-first-gold-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343062/meet-breezy-johnson-lgbtq-athlete-who-won-us-first-gold-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:00:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India has topped the rankings of global sports drug cheats for a third straight year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said, marking a dubious hat-trick for the country. India’s National Anti Doping Agency (Nada) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples, out of which 260 tested positive in 2024, the international watchdog said in its annual report published late on Tuesday. The findings are a major blow to India, which is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games – an event seen as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3336936/world-anti-doping-agency-names-india-worst-drugs-cheats-third-straight-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3336936/world-anti-doping-agency-names-india-worst-drugs-cheats-third-straight-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry and her World Anti-Doping Agency counterpart have called for unity in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs following a fracture with the United States. “Too often we’ve seen energy spent on division, finger-pointing and competing agendas,” Coventry told Wada’s World Conference on Doping in Sport, being held this week in the South Korean city of Busan. “It has been difficult to watch this divide within our community.” Her comments... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335022/end-finger-pointing-doping-fight-ioc-president-tells-conference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335022/end-finger-pointing-doping-fight-ioc-president-tells-conference?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:48:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse China’s world champion long-jumper Wang Jianan was cleared of doping after hospital video camera footage showed he had inadvertently inhaled a banned substance. Wang became the first Asian man to win the world championships long jump gold when he leapt 8.36m at the world event in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022. The China Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) had said this week that Wang, 29, had not been negligent or at fault after failing an out-of-competition test last November and would not be banned. Wang... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3334346/hospital-video-footage-helps-clear-chinese-long-jump-world-champion-wang-jianan-doping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3334346/hospital-video-footage-helps-clear-chinese-long-jump-world-champion-wang-jianan-doping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:00:17 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Hong Kong rugby player Luke van der Smit has been sacked after failing a drugs test during his team’s World Cup qualifying campaign this summer, and is facing a years-long ban from the sport. Sources said the No 8 tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance immediately after his side’s 70-22 victory over South Korea on July 5, a win that secured Hong Kong’s place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Van der Smit, who came off the bench in the Asia Rugby Championship clash and scored the last... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3331286/hong-kong-rugbys-luke-van-der-smit-faces-ban-after-failing-drugs-test-during-world-cup-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3331286/hong-kong-rugbys-luke-van-der-smit-faces-ban-after-failing-drugs-test-during-world-cup-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 05:11:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed on Thursday it was looking into a leak about an investigation that resulted in the agency clearing 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The agency has defended its decision to clear the swimmers of doping. It said it had agreed with Chinese anti-doping authorities who found the swimmers’ samples were contaminated. The existence of the investigation by China and Wada had been kept under... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3331017/wada-launches-operation-puncture-probe-leak-about-chinese-swimmers-doping-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3331017/wada-launches-operation-puncture-probe-leak-about-chinese-swimmers-doping-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 05:09:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Kenyan athletes may have shone at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, winning seven gold medals, but persistent allegations of doping still cast a shadow as the global anti-doping agency threatens to sanction the East African country. The warning is anything but trivial for a nation whose runners embody Kenyans' hopes for lifting families out of poverty, a desperate desire that can drive some over the line. Over the years, and following numerous scandals, Kenya has repeatedly promised... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3326406/kenyan-athletes-shine-tokyo-world-championships-doping-remains-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3326406/kenyan-athletes-shine-tokyo-world-championships-doping-remains-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:25:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters Enhanced Games has launched an anti-trust lawsuit against World Aquatics, USA Swimming and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) for up to US$800 million, alleging an illegal campaign to “crush” the event which allows athletes to use banned drugs. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses the defendants of violating the Sherman Act by pressuring athletes, coaches and support staff to boycott the Enhanced Games. Enhanced Games is seeking... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323419/enhanced-games-sues-world-aquatics-usa-swimming-us800-million-over-crushing-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323419/enhanced-games-sues-world-aquatics-usa-swimming-us800-million-over-crushing-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 02:22:53 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball After almost 10 years in the international wilderness, Russia’s track-and-field athletes appear little closer to a return to competing under their country’s flag than they were at the height of their doping ban. That suspension – imposed on Russia in November 2015 after state-sponsored doping was uncovered – was lifted in 2023, but it has remained ostracised over the invasion of Ukraine. And it was only in March that World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said sanctions would stay in place... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3321775/doping-damaged-goods-russian-athletics-long-road-reintegration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3321775/doping-damaged-goods-russian-athletics-long-road-reintegration?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 23:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse American Fred Kerley, a two-time 100 metres Olympic medallist, has been provisionally suspended for failing to notify anti-doping officials of his whereabouts, it was announced on Tuesday. Kerley, who took 100m silver at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze last year in Paris, as well as the 2022 world 100m crown, was suspended for “failing to comply with his anti-doping whereabouts obligations”, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit. Elite athletes have strict requirements about informing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3321679/us-olympic-100m-medallist-kerley-provisionally-banned-whereabouts-violation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3321679/us-olympic-100m-medallist-kerley-provisionally-banned-whereabouts-violation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:02:49 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has reappointed his former fitness coach Umberto Ferrara with immediate effect, the Italian world No 1 confirmed on Wednesday. Sinner parted ways with Ferrara and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi last year following the investigation into his positive tests for the banned substance clostebol. “The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik’s management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open,” a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3319296/world-no-1-jannik-sinner-rehires-former-coach-involved-doping-incident-led-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3319296/world-no-1-jannik-sinner-rehires-former-coach-involved-doping-incident-led-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:37:29 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Drug-testing Chinese swimmers more often than those of other nations at the World Aquatics Championships was based on risk assessments by an independent anti-doping body, a senior swimming official has told the Post. The International Testing Agency (ITA) – a not-for-profit foundation that runs anti-doping programmes for events and federations – made the assessments of teams as they prepared for the championships held in Singapore, which run from Friday until August 3. A total of 4,018... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3317745/chinese-swimmers-tested-most-based-independent-risk-assessments-says-global-body?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3317745/chinese-swimmers-tested-most-based-independent-risk-assessments-says-global-body?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The China Anti-Doping Agency has released the names of two American basketball players who failed in-competition tests in April during the domestic league. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chinese Basketball Association said it had been notified by the agency of doping violations involving Montrezl Dashay Harrell and Troy Akeem Gillenwater. It said both players tested positive for Carboxy-THC and that both have given up the right to have their “B” samples tested. The CBA said it would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3315732/two-americans-test-positive-doping-top-chinese-basketball-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3315732/two-americans-test-positive-doping-top-chinese-basketball-league?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 04:30:09 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan A Hong Kong lawmaker has said he has no concerns about former athlete Wang Junxia being granted residency in the city, after some Hongkongers queried the move. Former distance runner Wang, 52, had her residency confirmed on Wednesday under the city’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, along with her 15-year-old daughter Huang Danting. It came 29 years after the end of Wang’s controversial athletics career, in which she won 5,000 metres gold at the 1996 Olympics and set several world records –... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3315300/hong-kong-lawmaker-defends-ex-athlete-wang-junxia-gaining-residency-migrant-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3315300/hong-kong-lawmaker-defends-ex-athlete-wang-junxia-gaining-residency-migrant-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jun 2025 00:00:16 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hongkongers are questioning how former Olympic gold medallist Wang Junxia qualified for residency under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, 29 years after the end of her controversial athletics career. Wang and her 15-year-old daughter, Wang Danting, had their residency confirmed on Wednesday, sparking debate online as to how the former Chinese athlete, who still holds the 3,000 metre world record, could contribute to her new home. A large number of comments focused on the 52-year-old’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3315086/hongkongers-wonder-what-wang-junxia-can-bring-city-29-years-after-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3315086/hongkongers-wonder-what-wang-junxia-can-bring-city-29-years-after-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 10:35:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency told senators that Chinese swimmers would have had to eat around 11lbs (5kg) of food to test for the amounts of the performance enhancer that resulted in the much-debated positive drug tests from 2021 that were later disregarded. “It’s unbelievable to think that Tinkerbell just showed up and sprinkled it all over the kitchen,” Travis Tygart said in a Senate hearing on Tuesday focused on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s response to the doping case. A... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3314952/chinese-swimmers-had-have-eaten-5kg-food-fail-2021-drug-tests-usada-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3314952/chinese-swimmers-had-have-eaten-5kg-food-fail-2021-drug-tests-usada-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:14:10 +0000 dpa dpa The National Anti Doping Agency of Germany (Nada) has not published the name of convicted doping offenders for a few years, according to a report by broadcasters ARD published on Sunday. The report said that some 90 per cent of cases in the past five years have not been made public. According to ARD calculations, the number of athletes who committed a doping-related offence is between 70 and 130. The Nada cited legal risks and data protection as a reason. “In its anti-doping work, the Nada is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3311836/german-anti-doping-body-has-not-been-publishing-names-drug-cheats-broadcaster-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3311836/german-anti-doping-body-has-not-been-publishing-names-drug-cheats-broadcaster-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2025 11:00:15 +0000 dpa,Reuters dpa,Reuters Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner said this week he considered quitting the sport because of the turmoil surrounding his doping suspension. When asked in a Rai TV interview on Tuesday if there was ever a moment when he wanted to give it all up, the 23-year-old hesitated briefly before responding: “Yes. I remember that I wasn’t in a very happy place before the Australian Open this year.” At the start of January in Melbourne – a grand slam that he won – it was still unclear whether Sinner would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3308584/jannik-sinner-says-he-considered-quitting-tennis-australian-open-amid-doping-furore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3308584/jannik-sinner-says-he-considered-quitting-tennis-australian-open-amid-doping-furore?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Norwegian athletes have been advised by the organisation responsible for training the country’s elite competitors to not eat any type of meat while competing in China, over fears it could cause a positive doping test. Olympiatoppen, which is part of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said consuming meat could lead to the unintentional ingestion of banned substances, posing a small but real risk of testing positive. The 2025 World Athletics Relays will take place in early May at the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3307733/dont-eat-meat-while-training-competing-china-norwegian-sports-body-tells-its-athletes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3307733/dont-eat-meat-while-training-competing-china-norwegian-sports-body-tells-its-athletes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Tokyo Olympics 400 metres freestyle champion Ahmed Hafnaoui has received a 21-month suspension for three whereabouts failures, the Aquatic Sports Integrity Unit said. The Tunisian swimmer’s ban runs until January 10, 2026 and all of his results from April 11, 2024 onwards have been disqualified, it added. “Mr. Hafnaoui admitted that he committed three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period,” Aquatic Sports Integrity Unit said. “Whereabouts failures” is a term used in sport’s anti-doping... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3307045/doping-offence-earns-tokyo-olympics-swimming-gold-medallist-21-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3307045/doping-offence-earns-tokyo-olympics-swimming-gold-medallist-21-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Apr 2025 06:49:24 +0000 Disgraced Chinese swimmer Sun Yang will next week compete for only the second time since his four-year drug ban was lifted last year, potentially paving the way for him to compete at the National Games. Three-time Olympic gold medallist Sun confirmed that he would swim at the Chinese Spring National Championships in Qingdao, Shandong province, which runs from March 18 to 23. The event gives Chinese swimmers the chance to qualify for the country’s national championships in Shenzhen in May – one... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3301954/swimmer-sun-yang-take-part-chinese-spring-national-meet-paving-way-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3301954/swimmer-sun-yang-take-part-chinese-spring-national-meet-paving-way-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 01:30:15 +0000 A World Anti-doping Agency programme aimed at building cooperation with law enforcement in Europe led to seizures of more than 25 tonnes of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) – officials now hope to see a similar impact in Oceania and Asia. Wada launched the Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) programme in Europe in 2022, hoping it might lead to five anti-doping operations being launched among the 48 countries that took part. Almost a year on from the end of the programme, there are more than... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3300844/world-anti-doping-agency-extends-intelligence-and-investigations-offensive-oceania-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3300844/world-anti-doping-agency-extends-intelligence-and-investigations-offensive-oceania-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:00:09 +0000 The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has defended the three-month ban agreed for world No 1 Jannik Sinner, insisting his case was “a million miles from doping”. Sinner tested positive for clostebol in March last year, and after the International Tennis Integrity Agency decided to not suspend the Italian, Wada announced it had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was seeking a two-year ban. However, Wada announced last Saturday it had agreed an immediate three-month ban after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3299208/million-miles-doping-wada-defends-jannik-sinners-three-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3299208/million-miles-doping-wada-defends-jannik-sinners-three-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:00:15 +0000 Novak Djokovic said a majority of players believe favouritism is at play in the tennis anti-doping system and called for it to be overhauled in the wake of cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Sinner on Saturday accepted a three-month doping ban after testing positive for anabolic agent clostebol last year, while Swiatek served a one-month ban at the end of 2024 when the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) showed up in her test. While Djokovic was not suggesting that either of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3299121/novak-djokovic-says-most-players-believe-there-favouritism-play-anti-doping-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3299121/novak-djokovic-says-most-players-believe-there-favouritism-play-anti-doping-system?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 06:48:04 +0000 Data released this month by World Aquatics has confirmed the extent to which China’s swimmers were subject to anti-doping measures last year, with the top 32 most tested athletes all being Chinese. The full figures for tests carried out in 2024 on more than 1,500 athletes, updated on February 4 and disclosed by the governing body’s Aquatics Integrity Unit, follows a build-up to last year’s Paris Olympics in which Chinese swimmers were chosen for testing twice as much as their rivals. World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298523/32-most-drug-tested-swimmers-globally-2024-were-all-chinese-data-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298523/32-most-drug-tested-swimmers-globally-2024-were-all-chinese-data-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:39:54 +0000 Several tennis professionals want the game’s governing bodies to investigate the number of players taking ADHD medication, claiming it could enhance their focus in matches. James Allemby, coach of Hong Kong’s No 1 tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam, said the issue deserved “a bigger lens” than the doping scandals surrounding multiple grand slam winners Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. The debate around players diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder taking Adderall, which contains... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3297912/tennis-stars-urge-investigation-pros-taking-advantage-focus-enhancing-adhd-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3297912/tennis-stars-urge-investigation-pros-taking-advantage-focus-enhancing-adhd-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:42:13 +0000 Novak Djokovic called for more transparency around doping suspensions in tennis on Sunday and that high-ranked players appeared to be treated differently from others. The 24-time grand slam champion agreed with Australian Nick Kyrgios, who 24 hours earlier said integrity in the sport was “awful”. Both were speaking in the wake of doping violations by world No 1s Italian Jannik Sinner and Poland’s Iga Swiatek during 2024. “I think Nick has some fair points when it comes to transparency and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292644/novak-djokovic-wants-doping-transparency-tennis-after-jannik-sinner-iga-swiatek-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292644/novak-djokovic-wants-doping-transparency-tennis-after-jannik-sinner-iga-swiatek-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2024 09:00:16 +0000 Iga Swiatek admitted she feared a more negative reaction to her doping ban and sees no reason for the case to drag on. The Pole was handed a one-month suspension in November after a positive test for the angina medication trimetazidine, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted was caused by contamination of a medicine the world No 2 player was taking to help combat jet lag. It was the second high-profile doping case to hit the sport in a matter of months following men’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292533/world-no-2-tennis-player-iga-swiatek-says-she-feared-more-negative-reaction-doping-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292533/world-no-2-tennis-player-iga-swiatek-says-she-feared-more-negative-reaction-doping-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:59:57 +0000 Two-time grand slam doubles champion Max Purcell said on Monday he was “devastated” after taking a voluntary suspension for breaking anti-doping rules. The Australian, who is ranked 12th in the world for doubles, admitted to breaching regulations relating to the use of a “prohibited method”. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said he “requested to enter into a provisional suspension on December 10.” “Time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292053/devastated-australian-grand-slam-winner-max-purcell-provisionally-suspended-doping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3292053/devastated-australian-grand-slam-winner-max-purcell-provisionally-suspended-doping?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:00:09 +0000 Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle said foreign athletes at the Paris Olympics “acted like they didn’t care about medals” but had a “breakdown” when they saw Chinese rivals atop the podium. Pan, the world record holder and Olympic champion in the men’s 100 metres freestyle, said he had to use his win to make people recognise that any athlete could win fairly and cleanly. The 20-year-old made history in the French capital with his exploits in the pool, but the Chinese team arrived on the back of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3289445/pan-zhanle-says-rivals-didnt-care-about-olympic-medals-had-breakdown-china-golds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3289445/pan-zhanle-says-rivals-didnt-care-about-olympic-medals-had-breakdown-china-golds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2024 05:00:08 +0000 Simona Halep has questioned the “big difference” in how doping cases are treated after world No 2 Iga Swiatek was handed a one-month drugs ban while the Romanian was out of action for more than 18 months following two separate anti-doping violations. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Thursday that Swiatek had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ). The Pole tested positive in August but the ITIA, which runs... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3288741/simona-halep-questions-handling-her-doping-case-after-iga-swiateks-one-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3288741/simona-halep-questions-handling-her-doping-case-after-iga-swiateks-one-month-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 11:30:09 +0000 Carlos Alcaraz roared back from a set down to beat world No 1 Jannik Sinner in a thriller and win his first China Open title on Wednesday. The four-time grand slam champion from Spain edged a captivating final 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 for his fourth ATP crown of the year and 16th overall. Alcaraz, who is set to return to No 2 in the world behind Sinner, was 3-0 down in the final-set tiebreak only to fight back and win in three hours, 21 minutes. The dramatic triumph ended Sinner’s run of 14 victories in a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3280847/china-open-mens-final-carlos-alcaraz-fights-back-beat-jannik-sinner-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3280847/china-open-mens-final-carlos-alcaraz-fights-back-beat-jannik-sinner-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:20:35 +0000 A final report has confirmed that the World Anti-Doping Agency did not show “favouritism” towards China in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who were cleared to compete after testing positive for a banned drug. But it also found Wada’s anti-doping rules and administrative processes could be further strengthened, something the agency itself acknowledged. The report’s author, Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, whom the agency appointed to head the investigation into itself, said he found “Wada has done... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3278329/final-report-clears-wada-chinese-swimmers-case-adds-rules-need-strengthening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3278329/final-report-clears-wada-chinese-swimmers-case-adds-rules-need-strengthening?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 01:00:14 +0000 The World Anti-Doping Agency has renewed its call for the US Anti-Doping Agency to better protect clean sport in the United States amid what it says are growing concerns about athletes attending major events without being sufficiently tested. According to a Wada letter sent to Usada board chair Tobie Smith last Friday, 90 per cent of all athletes in the United States compete outside the protection of the anti-doping code. Wada said it received a letter in July on behalf of 32 national and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3277856/world-anti-doping-chiefs-set-sights-us-college-testing-drugs-row-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3277856/world-anti-doping-chiefs-set-sights-us-college-testing-drugs-row-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2024 01:00:21 +0000 Less than three weeks after word emerged of his two positive tests for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid, world No 1 Jannik Sinner beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 with his typical relentless baseline game to win the US Open title at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. “It was, and it’s still, a little bit in my mind,” Sinner said of the doping controversy. “It’s not that it’s gone, but when I’m on court, I try to focus [on] the game, I try to handle the situation the best possible way. … It was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277735/us-open-jannik-sinner-plays-through-doping-cloud-beat-taylor-fritz-second-major?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3277735/us-open-jannik-sinner-plays-through-doping-cloud-beat-taylor-fritz-second-major?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 05:17:09 +0000 The Norwegian anti-doping agency has inadvertently selected players who died many years ago for testing ahead of Nations League matches, national team coach Stale Solbakken said. Among the selected players were record national team scorer Jorgen Juve and Einar Gundersen, who is regarded as one of Norwegian football’s first star players. Juve died in 1983, while Gundersen passed away in 1962. “We were visited by the anti-doping agency yesterday,” Solbakken told a news conference on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3277226/dopey-norway-drug-bosses-select-footballers-testing-decades-after-their-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3277226/dopey-norway-drug-bosses-select-footballers-testing-decades-after-their-deaths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2024 13:53:32 +0000 A state think tank has outlined the president’s vision for sport in China, saying it is driving a push for fair competition and a more “just and reasonable” global sports order with a greater voice for developing nations. In its report on Xi Jinping Thought on sport, the Xinhua Institute – under official news agency Xinhua – also highlighted the Chinese leader’s call for “zero tolerance” of doping. The report, released on Tuesday, marks the first time Xi’s ideology on sport has been laid out,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276287/report-outlines-xis-push-fair-competition-and-more-just-global-sports-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3276287/report-outlines-xis-push-fair-competition-and-more-just-global-sports-order?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 11:26:17 +0000 Disgraced swimmer Sun Yang broke down in tears after he won his heat in men’s 400 metres freestyle at the National Summer Swimming Championships on Sunday, his first competitive race since returning from a four-year drugs ban. But there were smiles all around hours later, when the 32-year-old Olympian, who is representing his home Zhejiang province at the event, won the final. Sun, who harbours a dream of competing at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, began his road to redemption in the heats with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275815/chinas-sun-yang-gives-tearful-interview-after-400m-heats-will-go-all-out-la-2028?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275815/chinas-sun-yang-gives-tearful-interview-after-400m-heats-will-go-all-out-la-2028?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 07:06:05 +0000 A senior Chinese sports official has called for management of food, drugs and nutritional supplements to be strengthened to prevent accidental doping, and for continuous anti-doping efforts by the country at the Paris Paralympics. Liu Guoyong, a deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, warned that there should be no “slip-ups”. The comments follow intense scrutiny of the country’s athletes at the Paris Olympics. It was revealed this year that 23 swimmers had been cleared... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275302/china-urges-no-doping-slip-ups-paralympics-after-focus-swimmers-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3275302/china-urges-no-doping-slip-ups-paralympics-after-focus-swimmers-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:01:05 +0000 World No 1 Jannik Sinner failed two drug tests in March but has been cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Tuesday, days before the Italian is set to play at the US Open. The tribunal convened by Sport Resolutions accepted the Australian Open champion’s explanation that the anabolic agent clostebol entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. Sinner said his physio, Giacomo Naldi, applied... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3275282/tennis-world-no-1-jannik-sinner-cleared-wrongdoing-after-failed-drug-tests-itia-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3275282/tennis-world-no-1-jannik-sinner-cleared-wrongdoing-after-failed-drug-tests-itia-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:12:27 +0000 The doping case involving US sprinter Erriyon Knighton’s claims of eating contaminated meat is being appealed and will be sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while Knighton’s lawyer suggested the sprinter could be “collateral damage” in an ongoing feud between anti-doping authorities across the globe. The Athletics Integrity Unit, which polices anti-doping on a global level for track and field, said it was appealing the “no-fault” finding issued by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada)... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3274529/us-decision-clear-olympian-erriyon-knighton-over-failed-drugs-test-be-appealed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3274529/us-decision-clear-olympian-erriyon-knighton-over-failed-drugs-test-be-appealed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2024 02:12:09 +0000 Suji Owen Suji Owen If, like me, you are already mourning the impending close of the Olympic Games, I’ve got you. Podcast-wise, anyway. It’s funny that I have become such a sports fan, and that, many, many decades after leaving behind compulsory PE classes, I still love playing and watching some kind of sport several times a week. My parents did not see the point of sport and, in fact, they saw it as an activity for the less intelligent. So I didn’t really play any sport at all until my 30s, when I joined the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3273590/6-top-sports-podcasts-you-should-know-2024-olympics-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3273590/6-top-sports-podcasts-you-should-know-2024-olympics-end?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 22:45:10 +0000 In 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed to add the word “together” to punctuate its motto – “faster, higher, stronger” – which had stood since 1894. The symbol of athletes from around the world gathering to compete in friendship was certainly welcome. Sadly, togetherness has been in short supply at some events in Paris due to nagging claims about doping, especially targeting Chinese athletes. The divisive atmosphere stems from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) handling of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3273774/eliminate-doping-keep-politics-out-international-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3273774/eliminate-doping-keep-politics-out-international-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 16:36:34 +0000 The global and United States anti-doping agencies are at odds over undercover tactics used by the American body to try to catch drug cheats, Reuters has learned. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said US agency Usada had broken the global code by letting several athletes it had caught between 2011 and 2014 violating drugs rules to go undercover and keep on competing without prosecution in exchange for information on other violators. Usada said the tactic was necessary and allowed, and wanted... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3273701/anti-doping-agencies-wada-usada-clash-over-use-undercover-athletes-catch-drug-cheats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3273701/anti-doping-agencies-wada-usada-clash-over-use-undercover-athletes-catch-drug-cheats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:30:14 +0000 China has urged the United States to fulfil its commitments and cease “long-arm jurisdiction” practices to ensure the smooth and safe participation of athletes from all countries when it hosts future Games. “China supports the US in hosting both the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and the Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games,” said Gao Zhidan, head of the nation’s sport administration and chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, speaking to his US counterpart Gene Sykes in Paris on Tuesday. “However, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273611/china-urges-us-ensure-olympic-athletes-treated-fairly-future-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273611/china-urges-us-ensure-olympic-athletes-treated-fairly-future-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 13:00:23 +0000 Not one swimmer competing at the Paris Olympics has failed a recent drugs test, that we know of, and yet the stench of doping accusations and allegations clung to La Defense Arena throughout nine days of intense competition. This was a Games where the word trimetazidine, or TMZ, was on the lips of those around the pool, as much as the names of its superstar performers: Leon Marchand, Kaylee McKeown and Pan Zhanle. What’s more, because of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) approach, this is an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3273496/doping-double-standards-and-how-tues-muddy-waters-china-row-us-over-wada?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3273496/doping-double-standards-and-how-tues-muddy-waters-china-row-us-over-wada?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:00:12 +0000 American swimming legend Michael Phelps said it would be wrong to “point the finger” at Pan Zhanle following the Chinese teenager’s devastating Olympic gold medal swim last week. Pan smashed his own world record to win 100 metres freestyle gold in Paris, but immediately found himself under fire from critics questioning the legitimacy of the 19-year-old’s 46.40 seconds effort. Phelps was one of those who appeared to cast doubt on Pan when he said he “couldn’t understand” how the teenager sliced... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3273328/american-legend-phelps-will-not-point-finger-china-olympic-hero-pan-zhanle-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3273328/american-legend-phelps-will-not-point-finger-china-olympic-hero-pan-zhanle-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2024 01:46:03 +0000 Chinese netizens were praising swim champion Pan Zhanle for his “high EQ” after he refused to sign a China flag handed to him by a fan. Pan was greeting members of the audience after his historic win in the men’s 100 metres freestyle on Thursday, when a young fan handed him a flag, asking for his signature. “I can’t sign the flag,” Pan responded, but offered to take a selfie instead. "No, kid, I can't sign my name on our national flag! Let's take a selfie." Pan Zhanle, who just got an Olympic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/buzz/article/3272940/pan-zhanle-wont-sign-fans-china-flag-paris-olympics-star-praised-eq-after-gesture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/buzz/article/3272940/pan-zhanle-wont-sign-fans-china-flag-paris-olympics-star-praised-eq-after-gesture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 08:00:09 +0000