{"id":587299,"date":"2024-06-14T13:21:45","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T20:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=587299"},"modified":"2024-06-14T13:21:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T20:21:45","slug":"qin-haiyang-wang-shun-yang-junxuan-tested-positive-for-clenbuterol-prior-to-2021-positives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/qin-haiyang-wang-shun-yang-junxuan-tested-positive-for-clenbuterol-prior-to-2021-positives\/","title":{"rendered":"Qin Haiyang, Wang Shun, Yang Junxuan Tested Positive for Clenbuterol Prior to 2021 Positives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Qin Haiyang, Wang Shun, Yang Junxuan Tested Positive for Clenbuterol Prior to 2021 Positives<\/strong><\/p>\n

In April, news emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine months prior to the Tokyo Olympics, but their test results were never publicly disclosed and the athletes were not sanctioned because China’s anti-doping authority (CHINADA) attributed the findings to contamination.<\/p>\n

Now, new reporting from the\u00a0New York Times<\/em> reveals that three of those Chinese swimmers had tested positive for clenbuterol, a banned substance that promotes muscle growth, years prior. Those findings were not disclosed and the swimmers never sanctioned, with the results attributed to food contamination. The three swimmers, per the New York Times<\/em>, were\u00a0Qin Haiyang<\/strong>,\u00a0Wang Shun<\/strong> and\u00a0Yang Junxuan<\/strong>. Qin is now the world-record holder in the 200 breaststroke while Wang and Yang both won Olympic gold medals in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) responded to the reporting with a scathing statement Friday in which it attributed the results to clenbuterol’s use “as a growth promoter for farm animals and, under specific circumstances, can result in a positive sample from an athlete who consumes meat from animals treated in that way.” WADA noted that this problem “exists in China, Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries. It is a pervasive issue that has resulted in hundreds of positive tests for trace amounts of clenbuterol in the samples of innocent athletes.”<\/p>\n

The statement included information that the clenbuterol levels of Qin, Wang and Yang were “so low that they were between six and 50 times lower than the minimum reporting level of 5ng\/mL that is currently in place, which was introduced into anti-doping rules in 2019 to deal with the extensive issue of clenbuterol contamination in meat.” WADA added that World Aquatics (previously FINA) reviewed the findings and “did not contest the contamination scenario.”<\/p>\n

However, the\u00a0New York Times<\/em> criticized WADA for failing to give an “explanation for why the swimmers were not publicly identified for having any amount in their systems.” In 2016 and 2017, these levels of clenbuterol would normally have resulted in sanctions.<\/p>\n

WADA claimed that the organization was compelled to put out a statement following the\u00a0New York Times<\/em> request for comment because of the earlier coverage of the positive TMZ tests.<\/p>\n

“Given the sensationalist and inaccurate way that the New York Times has covered the trimetazidine contamination cases of 23 Chinese swimmers from 2021, as well as the highly charged, politically motivated criticism of WADA and the global anti-doping system that followed, mainly from within the United States, WADA feels it is important to be able to describe the context and extent of clenbuterol contamination around the world so that people are not further misled.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read the full report from the\u00a0New York Times<\/em> here<\/a>. Read WADA’s statement in response here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n