Paris Olympics 2024: Wada must repair trust after episode involving Chinese swimmers, says US athletes’ commission head
- There are concerns about the independence of the world anti-doping agency, says Elizabeth Ramsey, executive director of the Team USA Athletes’ Commission
- Ramsey, signatory to a letter to Wada last week, said trust was ‘a little broken’ because policies and procedures appeared not to have been followed as in the past
Some athletes have lost trust in world anti-doping agency Wada after the body’s handling of failed drug tests in Chinese swimming, according to Team USA Athletes’ Commission executive director Elizabeth Ramsey.
Ramsey said there were concerns about the independence of an investigation into what had happened and called for further steps to be taken to ensure full transparency.
Wada has been under pressure since confirming media reports that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Games.
China’s anti-doping agency cleared the swimmers of wrongdoing, deciding they tested positive after contamination from the kitchen of a hotel where they were staying. Wada’s science department then determined that scenario was plausible.
Ramsey, signatory to a letter to Wada last week, said trust was “a little broken” because policies and procedures appeared not to have been followed as in the past.