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.
China seems to blaming imported Australian beef
https://amp.smh.com.au/sport/latest-chinese-doping-scandal-presents-no-positive-light-for-regulators-20240731-p5jy1a.html
WADA and SafeSport are a joke.
A likely story…
How come honest mistakes by swimmers from small countries are targeted and viciously punished while power house countries aren’t even investigated ? The system is laughably flawed and unfair .
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it until something changes: I think it’s damn near impossible to differentiate between the honest mistakes and the ones who messed up the system and got caught, and so it just depends on who the governing authority is and what kind of mood they’re in that day.
Which is a broken way to approach this.
Agree wholeheartedly! The rules must be upheld and decisions must be consistent. At the same time, WADA must be held accountable for “ witch hunts” and unfair treatment .
What an absolute joke that they continue to get away with doping by blaming hotel food and fast food. Tackle the problem from the top — force out their administrators, especially Zhou Jihong.
Lmao testing positive for coke and burgers. Americans are in trouble i heard Phelps ordered McDonalds in Tokyo.
It should be really obvious this is just a state sponsored doping program at this point. It’s a joke to use the tainted food excuse for basically every single athlete from one country.
Farce