WADA asks prosecutor to review Chinese Olympic swimming doping case

Under criticism for its secretive oversight of positive drug tests by 23 Chinese swimmers before the Tokyo Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appointed a veteran Swiss prosecutor to review how it handled the cases.

Despite the positive tests just months before the Tokyo Olympics, the swimmers avoided punishment with three going on to win gold medals.

The Canadian-based anti-doping body said Eric Cottier will be an independent prosecutor “to conduct a thorough review of WADA’s handling of the matter.”

Cottier was attorney general of Vaud - the home canton (state) of the International Olympic Committee and swimming’s governing body World Aquatics - for 17 years until his retirement in December 2022.

The prosecutor is expected to deliver a report, WADA said, “within two months” just weeks before the opening of the Paris Olympics where some of the same Chinese swimmers could compete.

Three of the 23 swimmers later won gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics where American and British swimmers took the silver medals. The Games were held in 2021.

However, it has not been made clear if Cottier will travel to China to question people involved in the 2021 investigation.

Following WADA’s announcement, one of WADA's top critics, the USA’s Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), put out a news release calling the announcement “self-serving” and questioning the independence of the investigation.

USADA’s release advised “by calling this an ‘independent’ investigation, WADA leadership is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

“Instead of WADA’s hand-picked lawyer with a limited and self-serving scope of review, the world’s athletes deserve a truly independent review commission with a wide scope of review.”

Cottier’s report will go to the executive committee of WADA. Its Vice President Yang Yang is a two-time Olympic gold medallist in speed skating from China and a former International Olympic Committee member.

Investigations by the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD published last weekend detailed how top swimmers from China tested positive for the same banned heart medication in January 2021 at a national meet about seven months before the Tokyo Games.

WADA says it stands firmly by its investigation, releasing a statement advising “WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favour of China by not appealing the CHINADA case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor."