China has urged the United States to fulfil its commitments and cease “long-arm jurisdiction” practices to ensure the smooth and safe participation of athletes from all countries when it hosts future Games. Gao Zhidan, head of the nation’s sport administration and chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, emphasized the importance of creating a safe and fair competition environment for all athletes, including those from China. This call for action was made during a meeting with his US counterpart Gene Sykes in Paris.
Sykes congratulated Chinese athletes on their impressive performance at the Olympics and acknowledged the role of sports in promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between China and the US. He expressed support for the establishment of a robust governance system by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and promised to actively address related issues to create a favorable environment for athletes from around the world, including those from China, to train and compete in the US.
The conversation between Gao and Sykes took place against the backdrop of a doping scandal involving Chinese swimmers at the Paris Olympics, which has heightened tensions between the US and China. Wada has faced criticism for its handling of positive drug tests, particularly in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. These athletes were later cleared to compete after Wada accepted the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency’s assertion that they were contaminated through food.
However, some of these swimmers have returned to compete in Paris, leading to allegations of a cover-up by Wada and the Chinese authorities. US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) chief Travis Tygart has been vocal in his criticism of Wada, accusing the organization of failing to conduct independent investigations and covering up findings related to the cases. Wada has denied these accusations and reiterated its commitment to combating doping in sports.
The IOC has warned that failure to support Wada’s leadership could jeopardize the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and the Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games. The IOC included an amendment in the host city contract for Salt Lake City, stating that the Olympic host agreement could be revoked if Wada’s supreme authority in anti-doping efforts is not fully respected or if the enforcement of the anti-doping code is obstructed or compromised.
In Paris, concerns have been raised by American, British, and Australian athletes and coaches about the integrity of the competition, while Chinese officials have criticized what they perceive as a double standard in how doping allegations are directed against Chinese athletes compared with their American counterparts. According to World Aquatics, Chinese swimmers underwent the highest number of anti-doping tests before the Paris Olympics, averaging 21 tests per athlete – nearly four times the number taken by their American counterparts.
Chinese athletes have also expressed concerns about how these tests have impacted their performance during the Paris Games. The ongoing doping scandal and the tensions surrounding it highlight the need for a fair and transparent anti-doping system that upholds the principles of the Olympic Charter and ensures a level playing field for all athletes, regardless of their nationality.