The frequency of doping tests in swimming should be set by organizations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and World Aquatics to ensure fairness in Olympic competitions, according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who spoke at a press conference on Saturday.
Bach made these comments in response to a question about whether there would be an increase in doping tests for the Chinese swimming team, which has already undergone extensive testing following Pan Zhanle’s world record in the men’s 100m freestyle on July 31.
Since January 1, anti-doping organizations have tested each Chinese swimmer an average of 21 times, a figure significantly higher than the averages of six tests for American swimmers and four for Australian swimmers, as revealed by World Aquatics on July 23.
Bach emphasized that the IOC delegates responsibility for conducting doping tests to WADA and national anti-doping laboratories. Additionally, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handles doping-related sanctions. “It’s up to these anti-doping entities, and specifically in swimming, along with World Aquatics, to determine the number of tests,” Bach stated. “This approach ensures a fair Olympic Games for everyone.”
In the wake of Pan’s impressive performance, his fellow Chinese athlete and Tokyo Olympic champion Zhang Yufei raised concerns during a press conference about the perceived double standards in the scrutiny faced by Chinese athletes compared to their Western counterparts.
