Jump to content

Doping in China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on
Doping in sport
White pillsA Hypodermic needle
Substances and types
Terminology
History
Doping-related lists
Anti-doping bodies

China was alleged to have conducted a state-sanctioned doping operation in the 1980s and 1990s by former General Administration of Sport physician Xue Yinxian.[1] The World Anti-Doping Agency investigated these allegations and found no evidence to corroborate them.[2] Other allegations of doping have focused on swimmers[3] and track and field athletes, such as those taught by Ma Junren (the Ma Family Army).[4][5] In the Olympics, China has been stripped of a total of three gold medals for doping; all were weightlifters competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics.[6] Eleven Chinese athletes were stripped of medals for doping at the 1994 Asian Games.[7]

China's doping has been attributed to a number of factors, such as the exchange of culture and technology with foreign countries.[8] Some scholars believe that the country has become the focus of Western anti-doping condemnation in place of East Germany and other former Eastern Bloc countries.[9]

History

[edit]

Chinese swimming performances in the 1990s

[edit]

The 1994 Hiroshima games saw seven Chinese swimmers along with a hurdler, a cyclist and two canoeists stripped of their medals after testing positive for the steroid dihydrotestosterone.[10][11] In response, Chinese officials in March 1995 handed 1 year bans to nine coaches for doping in the Hiroshima games. FINA and the Olympic Council of Asia noted in the same month that there was not enough evidence to say organised doping was occurring in China, but the former said more testing was needed.[12]

FINA, swimming's governing body, said Wang Wei of China's men's team and Wang Luna, Cai Huijue and Zhang Yi of the women's team tested positive for the banned diuretic triamterene and were immediately suspended at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, Australia. Yuan Yuan, a swimmer caught by Australian customs on 8 January with human growth hormones in her suitcase, was given a four-year suspension. Coach Zhou Zhewen, who said he put the drugs in the suitcase, was banned for 15 years, although FINA said it would review his case after 10 years. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said drug use by Chinese athletes had hurt that country's hopes of holding the Summer Games. Meanwhile, the Chinese Swimming Association said it was deeply shocked by the positive drug tests and would impose "serious punishment" on those involved.[13] Following an investigation into China the next month, the International Swimming Federation rejected allegations that the country had a national doping programme.[14]

As a result of the 1990s swimming scandals, the record-breaking performance of Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen in the 2012 Olympics drew doping suspicions fuelled by BBC presenter Clare Balding, American Swimming Coaches Association executive director John Leonard, and The Guardian.[15] Several past Olympic champions also defended Ye, including former British swimmer Adrian Moorhouse who said: "I understand it’s about China’s system. But we saw the Chinese swimmers in the 1990s. They were the size of houses. They looked like they had huge muscle growth. This girl is quite small… she’s just in good shape."[16][17]

Ma Junren and his Ma Family Army

[edit]

In February 2016, Tencent Sports reported a letter written in 1995 by Wang Junxia and nine other track athletes, who claimed that women coached by Ma Junren were forced to take "large doses of illegal drugs over the years".[18][19][4] According to Reuters and former State General Administration of Sports Director General Yuan Weimin, Ma and six of his runners were dropped from the 2000 Summer Olympics because they were tested positive for doping.[20][18]

The International Association of Athletics Federations confirmed they had launched a probe into the claims and asked the Chinese Athletics Association to assist it in verifying whether the letter is genuine.[21] An official from the Chinese Athletics Association declined to comment to Reuters on the matter.[5]

Xue Yinxian allegations

[edit]

Systematic doping of Chinese athletes in Olympic Games (and other international sport events) was alleged by former Chinese doctor Xue Yinxian as early as 2012.[22] She claimed that more than 10,000 athletes in China were doping systematically in the 1980s and 1990s but admitted in 2024 that she did not personally witness any wrongdoing.[2] The Chinese government denied involvement in systematic doping, claiming that athletes who doped did so individually. Xue said she was persecuted by the Chinese government for her allegations and had to seek asylum in Germany, which was granted in 2017.[22][23][24][25][26] The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said there is insufficient evidence to substantiate Xue's allegation of a large-scale doping scheme in the 1980s and the 1990s. As for samples retained from 2008, 2012, and 2016, WADA re-tested them but found no corroborating evidence.[2]

Trimetazidine revelations in swimming

[edit]
Further information: World Anti-Doping Agency § Chinese doping allegations

23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned medication trimetazidine (TMZ) at the Shijiazhuang Chinese Long Course Invitational from 31 December 2020 to 3 January 2021, but the results were treated as caused by kitchen contamination of beef noodles without being made public.[27] The story was first reported on 20 April 2024 by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.[28] After delays owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) logged the 60 urine samples - of which 28 were positive - into WADA's Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Beijing on or around 15 March 2021.[29] Per The New York Times, an email on this date from a CHINADA legal official requested a "counterpart at the world swimming association" to "keep athletes’ information and the case strictly confidential until it is publicly disclosed by CHINADA."[28] Of the 23, 13 competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics seven months later where several of them, such as Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun, received medals.[30] The New York Times reported that WADA's own investigative unit was not permitted to independently examine the matter.[31] The matter is widely censored in China.[32]

In 2022, the International Testing Agency (ITA) raised issues with WADA regarding a possible misreporting of the TMZ samples. The WADA Intelligence and Investigations Department subsequently reviewed these issues and "concluded that proper procedures had been followed and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing." The New York Times states that the ITA's review of the case is ongoing.[33]

On 23 April 2024, three days following the publication of The New York Times' and ARD's reports, ARD released a 4 part documentary "The China File."[34] The documentary features USADA's CEO Travis Tygart who suggests of a "cover-up" by WADA and former WADA Director General David Howman who warns that the public's distrust may cause the organisation's (WADA) reputation to "quickly go downhill." Also featured are forensic toxicologist and pharmacologist Fritz Sörgel who deems the contamination explanations to be "implausible" and Munich sports lawyer Thomas Summerer who alleges that it was "obvious that an anti-doping violation had occurred." In a separate statement, Tygart once again criticised WADA of its handling of the positive tests, stating that it "appears to be a devastating stab in the back of clean athletes and a deep betrayal of all athletes who compete fairly and follow the rules.”[28]

USADA, along with the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Rahul Gupta, called for an independent investigation into the matter.[35] In a statement on 25 April 2024, WADA responded to these allegations by appointing Swiss attorney Eric Cottier as an independent investigator to review its handling of the case.[36] USADA called the appointment "self-serving."[36]

On July 9, Eric Cottier concluded that WADA did not mishandle the Chinese swimmers' doping case or show bias. His interim report stated, "There is nothing in the file... to suggest that WADA showed favouritism or in any way favoured the 23 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) between January 1 and 3, 2021." He also found no evidence of "interference or meddling" from within WADA, Chinada, or Chinese authorities. Cottier stated Wada's decision not to appeal against Chinada's conclusion was "reasonable, both from the point of view of the facts and the applicable rules". WADA President Witold Bańka welcomed the conclusion and reconfirmed the importance of clarifying these "two fundamental questions in advance of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.[37][38]

In July 2024, World Aquatics, which also found no wrongdoing on the part of Chinese swimmers after its own investigations,[39] confirmed that its executive director was subpoenaed to testify to U.S. authorities as part of a criminal investigation into the Chinese swimmers' doping tests.[40] It was reported in July 2024 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened an investigation into whether the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) did not adequately investigate the doping case involving Chinese swimmers.[41]

In September 2024, Cottier released his final report noting that some rules were not followed by CHINADA but this did not affect the "acceptance of the contamination hypothesis". The report said WADA did not show favouritism but its administrative processes could be strengthened. The findings largely matched Cottier's June interim report.[42][43][44]

Disqualified medalists

[edit]

Listed below are athletes who have had their medals being stripped due to doping violations.

Olympic Games

[edit]
Main articles: Doping at the Olympic Games, 2008 Summer Olympics medal table, and List of stripped Olympic medals
Medal Name Sport Event Date
 Gold Chen Xiexia Weightlifting Women's 48 kg 9 August 2008
 Gold Liu Chunhong Weightlifting Women's 69 kg 13 August 2008
 Gold Cao Lei Weightlifting Women's 75 kg 15 August 2008

Asian Games

[edit]
Main article: Doping at the Asian Games
Name NOC Sport Banned substance Medals Ref
Han Qing  China Athletics Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 400 m hurdles) [45]
Zhang Lei  China Canoeing Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's C-1 500 m)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's C-1 1000 m)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Men's C-2 500 m) 		[45]
Qiu Suoren  China Canoeing Dihydrotestosterone 2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Men's C-2 1000 m) [45]
Wang Yan  China Cycling Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's sprint) [45]
Fu Yong  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) (Men's 400 m individual medley) [46]
Hu Bin  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 50 m freestyle) [46]
Lü Bin  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 50 m freestyle)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 200 m freestyle)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 200 m individual medley)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Women's 100 m freestyle)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Women's 100 m backstroke) 		[46]
Xiong Guoming  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 200 m freestyle)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 200 m individual medley)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 400 m individual medley)
1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay) 		[46]
Yang Aihua  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Women's 400 m freestyle) [46]
Zhang Bin  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Men's 200 m butterfly) [46]
Zhou Guanbin  China Swimming Dihydrotestosterone 1st place, gold medalist(s) (Women's 400 m freestyle)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Women's 800 m freestyle) 		[46]

Individual Chinese doping cases

[edit]

Reactions

[edit]

Jinxia Dong, an associate professor at Peking University, said that the doping programme was a by-product of the "open door" policy which saw the rapid expansion within China of modern cultural and technological exchanges with foreign countries.[8] Former East German swim coaches admitted to systematic doping on their athletes; among them, coach Klaus Rudolf played a significant role in developing China's swimming programme.[54]

Bioethicist Maxwell J. Mehlman in his 2009 book The Price of Perfection, states that "In effect China has replaced East Germany as the target of Western condemnation of state-sponsored doping".[9]: 134  Mehlman quotes an anthropologist as saying that "When China became a 'world sports power', American journalists found it all too easy to slip China into the slot of the 'Big Red Machine' formally occupied by Soviet Bloc teams".[9]: 134 

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "'They Have Ruined My Family'". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Williams, Holly; Kiniry, Leigh (25 July 2024). "Inside the high-stakes dispute between the U.S. and global anti-doping agencies over China's Olympic swimmers". CBS News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  3. ^ "China's swimmers racing to escape country's doping past". Reuters. 19 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2021. China's swimming programme has seen its reputation tarnished by a series of scandals, most notably when one female swimmer was caught with 13 vials of human growth hormone at Sydney airport ahead of the 1998 world championships in Perth.
  4. ^ a b Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (24 February 2016). "Doping Claims Involving Chinese Track Stars Re-emerge, Decades Later". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b "中国"马家军"昔日联名信曝光禁药丑闻 国际田联称将调查其真实性" [China's "Ma Family Army" past joint letter exposes doping scandal, IAAF says it will investigate its authenticity]. Reuters. 5 February 2016. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  6. ^ "3 Chinese weightlifters lose 2008 Olympic titles for doping". Associated Press. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2021. for doping at their home 2008 Beijing Games
  7. ^ Longman, Jere (18 December 1994). "Drug Sleuths' Surprise Produces a Breakthrough". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b Jinxia Dong (2003). Women, Sport, and Society in Modern China: Holding Up More Than Half the Sky. Psychology Press. pp. 153–. ISBN 978-0-7146-5235-1. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  9. ^ a b c Maxwell J. Mehlman (21 May 2009). The Price of Perfection: Individualism and Society in the Era of Biomedical Enhancement. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-8018-9263-9. Retrieved 31 July 2012. In effect, China has replaced East Germany as the target of Western condemnation of state-sponsored doping.
  10. ^ "ASIAN GAMES". The Washington Post. 4 December 1994. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  11. ^ Jennings, Andrew (1996). The New Lords of the Rings: Olympic Corruption and How to Buy Gold Medals. Pocket Books. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-671-85571-0. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  12. ^ "China bans nine coaches over drugs". The Independent. 31 March 1995. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. ^ "4 Chinese Swimmers Suspended for Drugs". Los Angeles Times. 15 January 1998. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  14. ^ Jinxia Dong (2003). Women, Sport, and Society in Modern China: Holding Up More Than Half the Sky. Psychology Press. pp. 151–152. ISBN 978-0-7146-5235-1. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Indeed, based on an investigation in China in February 1998, the International Swimming Federation rejected the assumption that China had a national drug-taking programme.
  15. ^ Mike Collett-White and Alan Baldwin (31 July 2012). "Unease, anger as Chinese swimmer fights doping doubts". Reuters.
  16. ^ "Sporting greats swim to Ye Shiwen's defence". Al Jazeera. 31 July 2012. "I think it's quite insulting actually...I understand it's about China's system. But we saw the Chinese swimmers in the 1990s. They were the size of houses. They looked like they had huge muscle growth. This girl is quite small… she's just in good shape."
  17. ^ "China swimmer Ye Shiwen 'clean' says Olympic chief". Belfast Telegraph. 31 July 2012. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b "独家-王军霞领衔举报马家军强迫使用兴奋剂". Tencent Sports. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  19. ^ Armitage, Catherine (6 February 2016). "'We took drugs': Chinese athletes confess to doping in secret letter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Chinese seized EPO, testoterone, steroids at school". ESPN. Reuters. 25 August 2006. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024. Just before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, however, Ma and six of his runners were dropped from the team when blood tests revealed abnormal results.
  21. ^ Bloom, Ben (25 February 2016). "Athletics world records blow as Wang Junxia 'admits' being part of Chinese state-sponsored doping regime". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  22. ^ a b "Systematic doping of Chinese athletes in Olympic Games revealed by former doctor". Deutsche Welle. 21 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ^ Ingle, Sean (23 October 2017). "Wada is accused of sitting on mass China doping claims for five years". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  24. ^ "China to make doping a criminal offence and warns athletes who test positive could be sent to prison". 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  25. ^ "WADA to investigate claims of systematic doping in China". Reuters. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Former doctor reveals more than 10,000 Chinese athletes were doping". Sports Illustrated. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  27. ^ Pells, Eddie (22 November 2024). "Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  28. ^ a b c Schmidt, Michael S.; Panja, Tariq (20 April 2024). "Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic Gold". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  29. ^ "WADA Contamination case of swimmers from China Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  30. ^ Mebus, Hajo Seppelt, Nick Butler, Lea Löffler und Jörg. "Recherche der ARD-Dopingredaktion: "Die Akte China" - Fragen und Antworten". sportschau.de (in German). Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ Panja, Tariq; Schmidt, MIchael S. (3 December 2024). "Antidoping Agency Froze Out Investigators Who Warned About China". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2024. In a statement, WADA confirmed that it had walled off its investigative unit from dealing with the positive tests for TMZ among the Chinese swimmers. The agency said that decision was warranted because "a thorough legal and scientific review of the facts, including by external legal counsel," showed "no basis to challenge the contamination explanation" offered by the Chinese.
  32. ^ Pierson, David (3 July 2024). "An Uproar Over a Chinese Doping Case, Except in China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  33. ^ "23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substance before 2021 Olympics: WADA". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  34. ^ Mebus, Hajo Seppelt, Nick Butler, Lea Löffler und Jörg. ""Die Akte China": Massendoping-Verdacht in China - WADA handelt nicht". sportschau.de (in German). Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ Schmidt, Michael S.; Panja, Tariq (22 April 2024). "Top Biden Official Calls for Inquiry Into Chinese Doping Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Anti-doping watchdog asks Swiss prosecutor to review its handling of Chinese Olympic swimming case". Associated Press. 25 April 2024. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Independent Prosecutor concludes WADA showed no bias towards China and decision not to appeal Chinese swimming cases was 'indisputably reasonable'". World Anti Doping Agency. 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  38. ^ "Wada did not show bias in Chinese swimmers doping case, says investigation". BBC Sport. 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  39. ^ Keating, Steve (16 July 2024). "World Aquatics did not mishandle Chinese doping cases, confirms audit". Reuters. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  40. ^ Dunbar, Graham; Pells, Eddie (4 July 2024). "World swimming federation confirms US federal investigation into Chinese swimmers' doping tests". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  41. ^ "What is WADA, why is the FBI investigating it and why is it feuding with US anti-doping officials?". AP News. 25 July 2024. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  42. ^ "Final report clears WADA over China swimmers who failed dope tests". France 24. 13 September 2024.
  43. ^ Pells, Eddie (12 September 2024). "Lawyer says Chinese doping case handled 'reasonably' but calls WADA's lack of action "curious"". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  44. ^ "Report Concludes China Broke Rules in Doping Case but Clears WADA". The New York Times. 12 September 2024. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  45. ^ a b c d "Chinese hand out long bans". The Independent. 21 December 1994. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  46. ^ a b c d e f g "China ban seven swimmers for two years". New Straits Times. 8 December 1994. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  47. ^ Wayne Wilson; Ed Derse (2001). Doping in Elite Sport: The Politics of Drugs in the Olympic Movement. Human Kinetics. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-7360-0329-2.
  48. ^ "Disgraced Wu banned". BBC News. 18 July 2000. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  49. ^ "China's Li Zhesi Tests Positive for EPO". Swimming World News. 9 June 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  50. ^ "China's top backstroke specialist banned for doping". ESPN. 27 June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  51. ^ "Chinese Swimmer Tests Positive, 2 Others Kicked Out of Rio for Doping". WRC-TV. 14 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  52. ^ a b Hersh, Phil (11 February 1992). "Chinese Skater: Medal, No Shame". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  53. ^ a b "China: Alles erlaubt". Der Spiegel (in German). 3 August 1992. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  54. ^ Hersh, Philip; Writer, Tribune Olympic Sports (5 September 1994). "Discontent Refuses to Wilt". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
Retrieved from "http://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Doping_in_China&oldid=1261519172"