Who Was A Part Of The 23 Positive Swimmers From China And Who Was Not?

According to the reports by the New York Times and the ARD (Germany), 23 Chinese swimmers 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. The 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.

ARD also reported a list of the 23 names that tested positive. See these names below.

Those who DID test positive include:

  1. Zhang Yufei
  2. Wang Shun
  3. Qin Haiyang
  4. Wang Yichun
  5. Yu Yiting
  6. Yang Junxuan
  7. Yan Zibei
  8. Wang Jianjiahe
  9. Xuwei Peng
  10. Ge Chutong
  11. Sun Jiajun
  12. Yu Hexin
  13. Fei Liwei
  14. He Junyi
  15. Chen Juner
  16. Zhang Ziyang
  17. Cheng Long
  18. Wang Xueer
  19. Lin Tao
  20. Shen Jiahao
  21. Wang Yutian
  22. Wang Zhou
  23. Zhang Ruixuan

Those who did NOT test positive include:

(The above list has been cross-referenced to the Tokyo roster published by SwimSwam in July 2021). 

2020 Chinese Tokyo Men’s Roster NOT positive:

2020 Chinese Tokyo Women’s Roster NOT positive:

It is also notable that Sun Yang was not one of the 23 swimmers to test positive. Sun is at the end of a four-year ban that is completed next month. The country’s current biggest star Pan Zhanle was also not among the swimmers testing positive. Pan broke the men’s LCM 100 free World Record at 2024 Worlds.

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Laurence
6 months ago

Pan is always innocent and some of the uneducated kids flame him for nothing. Pan swims 46.9 at Chinese nationals this year further proves he is capable.

Aragon Son of Arathorne
6 months ago

how does testing work for Paris? Every Olympian needs to be tested thoroughly. My understanding is that this is done after they compete? Correct me if I am wrong.

calswimboy
6 months ago

I hope Adam Peaty crushes Qin in the 100m Breaststroke this summer! Especially we now know he tested positive for doping.

Last edited 6 months ago by calswimboy
tea rex
6 months ago

So, we know who got the GOOD masking agents 😉 …

JK.

Kinda.

Swimmer
6 months ago

Feel sorry for the swimmers who tested negative their reputation and results have now become controversial because of the swimmers that have tested positive

Togger
6 months ago

I wonder how much the swimmers are even aware of the doping?

Hard to believe 23 swimmers randomly decided to take the very same angina drug as their PED of choice, it’s performance enhancing but it’s not EPO or something else you’d find from googling.

Sadly suspect the staff tell them it’s a vitamin tablet or something similar.

Boknows34
Reply to  Togger
6 months ago

The GDR doped their athletes without telling them. In that regime you were told what to do and nothing was questioned.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
6 months ago

I feel sorry for Canada. There is a strong possibility that Canada will get screwed over by China in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay, yet again.

Speaking of the women’s 200 meter freestyle, why isn’t Paige Madden listed in the women’s 2023-2024 season (LCM) rankings:

Women’s 200 meter freestyle
TYR Pro Swim Series – San Antonio
Paige Madden
1:57.25

CanSwimFan
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
6 months ago

China is also likely to push Canada out of the medals in the medley relay, especially with the recent 1:04.39 100 breast by Tang Qianting.

RamJam23
6 months ago

So not as bad as we once thought, it was just Wang and Zhang

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  RamJam23
6 months ago

2 out of 4 in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay is bad enough. Don’t kid yourself.

RamJam23
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
6 months ago

“Half” of them are wang or zhang…maybe I should repost the article in the comments

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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