{"id":584687,"date":"2024-04-24T09:36:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T16:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=584687"},"modified":"2024-04-24T09:42:04","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T16:42:04","slug":"adam-peaty-demands-full-transparency-amid-chinese-doping-controversy-before-eyeing-three-peaty-in-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/adam-peaty-demands-full-transparency-amid-chinese-doping-controversy-before-eyeing-three-peaty-in-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Adam Peaty Demands “Full Transparency” Amid Chinese Doping Controversy Before Eyeing Three-Peat(y) In Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adam Peaty Demands “Full Transparency” Amid Chinese Doping Controversy Before Eyeing Three-Peat(y) In Paris<\/h4>\n

Adam Peaty<\/strong> has called for \u201cfull transparency\u201d and expressed his \u201cdisappointment\u201d in the World Anti-Doping Agency<\/strong> (WADA) after Chinese athletes were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite having tested positive for a banned substance.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s\u00a0Daily Telegraph<\/strong>, the New York Times<\/strong> and German broadcaster ARD<\/strong> revealed 23 swimmers had tested positive for Trimetazidine at a domestic meet which ended on 3 January 2021, months before the Games which had been delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

An investigation by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency<\/strong> (CHINADA) found the cause was contamination of a hotel kitchen, traced to spice containers and draining units.<\/p>\n

CHINADA informed WADA they\u2019d not be charging swimmers with anti-doping violations, ruling that contamination was the cause of the positive tests which WADA and World Aquatics<\/strong> found no ground to dispute.<\/p>\n

No sanctions, no bans and no disclosure of the positive tests.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been widespread anger in the aquatics world that shows no sign of subsiding with Travis Tygart<\/strong>, head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency<\/strong>, demanding an investigation into what he called \u201ca tragedy for clean athletes around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: AARON OKAYAMA<\/p><\/div>\n

Peaty posted on social media hours after the news broke, asking \u201cwhat happened to strict liability?\u201d and questioning why the information wasn\u2019t disclosed.<\/p>\n

In a press conference on Monday, WADA general counsel\u00a0Ross Wenzel<\/strong>\u00a0said:<\/p>\n

\u201cAthletes from other countries that are competing against these athletes should not have concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese were athletes that, we have to assume, were innocently exposed to Trimetazidine contamination.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If WADA hoped the explanation they offered would calm the situation, the effect was in fact the opposite.<\/p>\n

Aquatics GB<\/strong> released a statement on Tuesday, expressing their \u201cextreme concern,\u201d saying they\u2019ll be \u201cmonitoring any further updates and possible resolution closely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Peaty backed the British governing body and asserted his position.<\/p>\n

He said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI fully stand by what Aquatics GB said: their statement is very strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me I stand by what I said on Twitter about the lack of transparency from WADA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an athlete we all want to be treated fairly, we all want to be treated with full transparency and making sure that in those cases those results are not hidden and they\u2019re not put under secrecy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is where I stand on it and I think a lot of swimmers are obviously very disappointed in WADA.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Looking to Paris and The Three-Peat(y)<\/h3>\n

While the doping controversy simmers on, Peaty is preparing for Paris where he\u2019ll look to become only the second man to achieve the three-peat.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old won the 100m breaststroke at Rio 2016 and in Tokyo five years later.<\/p>\n

Repeat the feat and he\u2019ll join Michael Phelps<\/strong> in a club of just two men who\u2019ve won the same event at three straight Olympics.<\/p>\n

Phelps won the 200IM at four straight Games (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016) as well as the 100 fly three times (2004, 2008 and 2012) en-route to his 23 Olympic titles.<\/p>\n

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Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Aaron Okayama, Speedo<\/p><\/div>\n

Peaty tops the rankings with his winning time of 57.94 at the Olympic trials in London earlier this month.<\/p>\n

It was the 21st<\/sup> time he\u2019d gone 57 with only Qin Haiyang<\/strong> \u2013 on three occasions \u2013 and Olympic silver medallist Arno Kamminga<\/strong> (twice) having also gone through the 58 barrier.<\/p>\n

What is all the more remarkable is that the Briton has returned from physical and mental exhaustion, telling Swimming World last year that he\u2019d considered quitting \u201ca thousand times.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s on the brink of more history having already become the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic swimming title.<\/p>\n

Of what winning in Paris would mean in terms of his legacy, Peaty said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does give me goosebumps thinking of it, any time I do think of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t get carried away\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time not many people have done that at all: to be dominant in the same event in three Olympics in a row.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople struggle on the first Olympics because it throws so many curveballs and so much pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never really seen it in a pressure way, I see it as an opportunity and this is probably the hardest time to win one with so many other distractions that are going on as we all are aware.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019ve ever got a reason to do one, it\u2019ll be this one but I have got to make sure I keep my emotions in check on that one and making sure that we are ticking off the process every day and then we\u2019re using emotion when we need it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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