The U.S. Department of Justice is opening a criminal probe into World Aquatics over its handling of 23 Chinese swimmers who failed doping tests ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The story was first reported Thursday by the New York Times.
11 of the Chinese swimmers from 2021 are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics (July 26-Aug. 11), so expect news coverage of this issue to intensify.
Why does this matter and what happens next?
Why are World Aquatics and China under criminal investigation?
At the urging of a congressional committee, the DOJ alleges China and World Aquatics – the international governing body of competitive swimming – may have engaged in a cover-up to clear nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for banned substances ahead of the Tokyo Games.
The World Antidoping Agency (which typically investigates these cases) and World Aquatics accepted the explanation of Chinese officials at the time that the swimmers were accidentally contaminated through food. World Aquatics did not send its own independent investigators, citing then-current COVID-19 restrictions.
The Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in Tokyo, where some won medals in their events, including three golds.
In June, multi-time Olympic medalists Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt of the United States testified to the same congressional committee about what they felt was a lack of accountability on the part of WADA and World Aquatics on enforcement of doping policies.