China Cites Contaminated Burgers As 2 Swimmers Tested Positive For Banned Substance In 2022

Tang Muhan and He Junyi tested positive for a banned substance back in 2022 according to the New York Times. China cleared the swimmers after citing the two went out for Coke, hamburgers, and fries.

Both swimmers tested positive for metandienone, an anabolic steroid that carries one of the longest bans. Metadienone helps promote an increase in protein synthesis, glycogenolysis, and muscle strength over a short period of time.

He and Tang tested positive after samples were taken October 6, 2022. The sample was taken while the two were at a national team training facility in Beijing. The two went out to eat at a restaurant where they had burgers, fries, and a Coke a few days prior. About a month after the tests were taken, the two had results came back positive and both athletes were provisionally suspended. Both athletes also had tests taken tests days before and after the positive test result date and the other tests were negative.

CHINADA began its investigation and it included testing “hundreds of meat samples from various sources, with dozens revealing positive results for metandienone,” according to WADA. CHINADA concluded that the positive tests were most likely caused by meat contamination. WADA and World Aquatics were given the opportunity to review the cases and appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Neither organization did so.

WADA said they did review the cases earlier this calendar year but concluded there was “no evidence to challenge contaminated meat as the source of the positive tests.”

Tang was not one of the 23 members that tested positive for TMZ back in 2021, just months before the Tokyo Olympics. He on the other hand was and went on to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but is not competing this week in Paris.

Tang is currently in Paris after being named to the Chinese roster for the 2024 Games in June and looks to swim on the women’s 4×200 free relay later this week. Tang notably helped the Chinese women break the World Record in the 4×200 free relay after a 1:55.00 flying start split in Tokyo.

WADA has released a statement in response to the article by the New York Times. “The politicization of Chinese swimming continues with this latest attempt by the media in the United States to imply wrongdoing on the part of WADA and the broader anti-doping community.”

WADA also said that both athletes had samples including “trace amounts” of the substance. WADA also included in their statement, “WADA is generally concerned about the number of cases that are being closed without sanction when it is not possible to challenge the contamination theory successfully before CAS.”

Rumors had circulated about Tnag on Chinese social media in 2022, but nothing ever materialized.

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Boknows34
18 minutes ago

Farce

JimSwim22
1 hour ago

Do we have studies showing how much contamination is needed to show up in a cooked hamburger.
Audio, why isn’t it required to have testers and lab techs from a variety of countries instead of self testing?

Last edited 1 hour ago by JimSwim22
Real Grant Moser
2 hours ago

I heard James Magnussen has been slamming those burgers lately too

Swimmer
Reply to  Real Grant Moser
5 seconds ago

But the difference is he is honest and open about it and is getting paid to do so

Colin
2 hours ago

Metadienone Is literally D-bol. Should be a lifetime ban, but here we are…

Caelebs left suit string
Reply to  Colin
2 hours ago

Didn’t know that… dbol is a BIG effing deal

SwimCoach
2 hours ago

Chinese athletes get a free pass. TMZ and Dbol are serious PEDs. It is abundantly clear that CHINADA will just use the contamination excuse as a free pass. Testing is irrelevant when it comes to China.

e-Swimmer77
3 hours ago

WADA is thoroughly corrupt. Can someone please stop this farce?

Cope Harder
Reply to  e-Swimmer77
1 hour ago

WADA is based in Canada and closely aligned with the US and European councils.

skip
3 hours ago

that would be “cite”.

SwimmerGuy
3 hours ago

I just hate when my Coke and Burger is randomly spiked with Performance Enhancing (and expensive) drugs without my awareness and I happen to improve and win. /s

JimSwim22
Reply to  SwimmerGuy
1 hour ago

Ikr, because ranchers aren’t just grabbing the cheapest bovine steroids to grow the critters fast

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022 and 2023 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. Currently, Anya is pursuing her B.A. in Economics and a minor in Government & Law at …

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