Twenty-five of Australia’s top swimmers may have been robbed of medals due to a doping scandal that rocked the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, according to a new report.
23 Chinese athletes tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine or TMZ ahead of the Games.
However, tests were attributed to food contamination and cleared by Chinese authorities and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).
At the time, it sparked fierce criticism from a number of athletes and supporters.
On this episode of The Briefing: What if we let athletes use whatever drugs they want?
Australia’s Mack Horton refused to stand alongside Chinese athlete Sun Yang on the podium at the World Championships.
Horton made the move to protest what he said was lenient treatment of drug cheats.
A new report by CODE Sports says that 25 Aussies, including Emma Mckeon, Kyle Chalmers, Ariarne Titmus, and Mollie O’Callaghan, were all beaten by Chinese rivals who’d tested positive for TMZ between the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2023 Paris Olympics.
Again, calling into question the decision to allow the Chinese athletes to compete at the time.
The Australian federal sports regulator, The WADA, and Sport Integrity Australia have come under fire for not defending Australian athletes, some remaining silent all together.
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