World Aquatics has appointed a five-person committee to audit their anti-doping procedure, reportedly sending a letter to member federations informing them of the decision on Friday.
The World Aquatics Bureau recommended the review after news that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive in 2021 came to light last month.
“Please be advised that by decision of the World Aquatics Bureau, an anti-doping audit review committee has been appointed to review the process and procedure of World Aquatics (and the prior FINA) in examining doping-related procedures,” the letter reads, according to The Sports Examiner.
“The goal is to enhance our understanding of the anti-doping review and decision-making process within our federation as it concerned this particular case and take away any learnings from this experience to make World Aquatics more equipped for the future. Your confidence, and the confidence of all athletes, in our system is vital to our future together.”
The five-person panel includes four-time Olympic medalist Florent Manaudou, along with Aquatics Integrity Unit Supervisory Council members Miguel Cardenal and Ken Lalo, Paralympic swimmer Annabelle Williams and Brazilian coach Fernando Possenti.
Although World Aquatics wasn’t directly involved in the Chinese doping case from 2021, the organization hopes to ensure its procedures are all solidified moving forward.
“We hope that the results of this investigation will help erase any circulating doubt about the anti-doping movement and place the minds of our athletes at ease heading into the Paris Olympic Games,” the letter says.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has come under heavy scrutiny over its handling of the Chinese case. At the time, it was investigated by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA), which concluded that the positive tests for trimetazidine (TMZ) were due to contamination. WADA has since said it was “not in a position to disprove” those findings.
An independent review is underway, led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier (though WADA has also received criticism over the selection of Cottier).
The audit committee report from World Aquatics’ five-person panel is due by the end of June.
The gaslighting which WADA is willing to do is utterly amazing! Why anyone believes their public statements is beyond me. While supposedly promoting CLEAN athletes, they are permitting them to be beaten by athletes which they know are doping. SAD, SAD, SAD!
Given Cottier’s history of giving the party under investigation exactly the outcome they want, I think swimswam can refrain from entertaining WADA’s claim the investigation is “independent”, it was commissioned by them for them and you know it will clear them already.
“…. After Paris, we’ll get right on this. Trust us”.
Slightly odd that they’d add Manaudou in the panel given he’s an active swimmer and is going to the Olympics
Just curious but what influence does world aquatics have on the anti-doping program? Is it not all just run by wada and respective national agencies?
World Aquatics has its own anti-doping program, seen most prevalently as the testing authority at World Aquatics competitions.
Ironic! the head of the Chinese swimming association is a vice president of World Aquatics. This is just virtue signalling
World Aquatics is a member-based organization. Virtually all of its many governing persons are also part of the executives of national or continental organizations. Those conflicts are unavoidable. As long as there is a proper system of checks and balances (and that’s debatable), there’s really not a solution to this problem. Almost everyone is from a country.
… I’m now very curious about and slightly afraid of the people who are not from a country.
A couple just got popped for doping!
Sure but Zhou Jihong (head of China Swimming Assoc) has been publicly called out for all sorts of other corrupt practices in recent years. The drug scandal should be no surprise.
Step in the right direction!
Wada……………..clowns.