Wang Shun Denies Wrongdoing While Speaking About Chinese Doping Scandal

Wang Shun was one of 23 Chinese swimmers that tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) at the start of the calendar year in 2021, about seven months before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Wang denied any wrongdoing after his bronze medal in the 200 IM in Paris.

The 23 swimmers were not sanctioned by CHINADA as traces of TMZ were reportedly found present in the hotel the swimmers stayed at. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) upheld CHINADA’s decision.

Wang went on to compete at the 2020(1) Tokyo Olympics, where he swam to gold in the men’s 200 IM in a time of a 1:55.00. He competed in the event last night in Paris where he swam to bronze touching in a 1:56.00.

After his bronze medal, he denied any wrongdoing about the doping scandal. “Chinese swimmers only compete cleanly,” he said through a translator. “That’s our goal.”

Wang also spoke on the frequency that he has been tested. He said he was tested 28 times and “an average of twice a week” when finishing his qualification for the Chinese Olympic team.

He also spoke of recent tests saying, “The two weeks before the Olympic Games, I was tested 11 times. All these tests had proven my innocence.”

World Aquatics increased its testing for Chinese swimmers leading up to the Paris Olympics. Almost 200 drug tests were taken by the swimmers during the first 10 days. Breaststroker Qin Haiyang, who also tested positive back in 2021, spoke of the frequency of testing earlier this week. Qin said, “The tests come early in the morning before we’re even awake, during midday rest periods, forcing us to rest on hotel lobby sofas, and even late at night, keeping us up past midnight.”

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Stingy
3 months ago

I think a lot of the Chinese swimmers genuinely believe they are innocent

Andrew
3 months ago

Drug jokes aside that brotha is washed time to hang it up and get a job

Sapiens Ursus
Reply to  Andrew
3 months ago

He’s had a incredible successful career and a bronze is nothing to sneeze at.

I do recall seeing something he’s going to retire after the games though, am I misremembering perhaps?

Dan
Reply to  Andrew
3 months ago

This is his 3rd or 4th Olympics, someone said he is around 30 years old. He could have another Olympic cycle in him if he wanted but it has to be something you really want to do. It also becomes a little harder as you get older.

lotus
3 months ago

we can tell he’s clean now bcs he was 1.4 seconds slower lool

prettysup
Reply to  lotus
3 months ago

LOL so everyone who is slower this time compared to previously were all doped?

Jenna Chan
3 months ago

rrrrright..

Clown Show
3 months ago

I feel like every time a Chinese swimmer publicly addresses this mess, it only gets worse. They definitely aren’t doing themselves any favors

Greg
Reply to  Clown Show
3 months ago

It gets worse only in the western world. Check any of the Chinese forums and the majority of people there believe their athletes are innocent.

Ricky Bobby.
Reply to  Greg
3 months ago

Chinese bot calling himself Greg. Classic.

Greg
Reply to  Ricky Bobby.
3 months ago

Learn reading comprehension, moron. I think the Chinese are 100% guilty.

Swimmin
Reply to  Greg
3 months ago

Learn reading more, moron. They have been tested far more than you think, and the tests are 100% negative.

Stingy
Reply to  Ricky Bobby.
3 months ago

Bro is not even defending the Chinese how is he a bot lmao

Tencor
Reply to  Clown Show
3 months ago

They address this because they get asked questions by interviewers after their race

Swimmin
Reply to  Clown Show
3 months ago

It’s not their faults. How disrespectful that every time, every athlete been asked drugs issues after their every swim? They can’t refuse to talk bcs you will say they are “guilty conscience make them cowards”. But when they answered every time you also said they are trying weasel them way out of doping issues. They do anything are useless because people just believe they’re doping and the reporters just assume they are guilty no matter what they say. Actually those ppl should be ashamed because they insulted swimmers without evidence but only with opinionated bias.

Here Comes Lezak
3 months ago

Lance Armstrong never failed a drug test. And also the sudden ramp up immediately before the Olympics is mostly pageantry imo.

I also don’t think any of the athletes have a choice or may even know. Just like Chinese companies don’t have a choice to play ball with the CCP.

Last edited 3 months ago by Here Comes Lezak
Riccardo
Reply to  Here Comes Lezak
3 months ago

Correct, tests in the immediate lead up (3 months or so) and at the games almost never catch anyone in any sport. Any sophisticated program would have anyone testing clean by that point.

These tests almost only ever prove valuable years later when they retest with better technology.

Last edited 3 months ago by Riccardo
Here Comes Lezak
Reply to  Riccardo
3 months ago

Agreed. I also worry, as Victor Conti points out in the video a commenter linked below, that this is going to creat more of a use or lose environment. That’s what happened it cycling that lead to the mass blood and EPO doping. You had to use, or go home.

Zippo
3 months ago

He probably believes that not knowing some jerky coach was giving him and the rest of the team performance enhancing drugs and calling them “vitamins” or “supplements.” The East German women who looked like men were told those injections were “vitamins.” The Russians also have a strange belief that everyone is doping so its ok for them also. There really needs to be harsher penalties for people like Dirty Jack and the Chinese 23.

Sapiens Ursus
Reply to  Zippo
3 months ago

Erm, it’s not really “a strange belief”…

Once again I direct people towards Victor Conte’s, the guy behind the BALCO scandal, assessment of the current state of doping in sport https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2op5XG7LGkI

Nep
Reply to  Zippo
2 months ago

Coach wasn’t giving them supplements for sure. I’ll tell a quarter of the story because many people don’t even know a tenth of it:
Top Chinese athletes have a gathering. While the athletes were there chinada conducted 3 series tests on the athletes. First test came back ** negative **. The second test came back positive with trace amounts of tmz, incomprehensibly low amounts. After that they did more test as per the positive tests, results fluctuating, again showing how low the amounts were (I doubt there would be any performance differences, just my opinion). An investigation was almost immediately launch, tracing the 23 swimmers whom all dined in the same restaurant, that restaurant was found to have trace… Read more »

Sapiens Ursus
3 months ago

The picture of some dude in a hasmat suit dumping TMZ all over the kitchen is quite funny.

You’ve never tried a true gourmet meal if the chef didn’t add the secret sauce

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, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

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