In a major development, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has called for an independent investigation into a doping controversy involving 23 Chinese swimmers. These swimmers tested positive for the substance trimetazidine (TMZ) but were not punished by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

USADA CEO Travis Tygart expressed his concerns, urging governments to appoint an independent prosecutor to thoroughly review the entire case file. Tygart emphasized the need to overhaul WADA to prevent future cover-ups of positive samples on the eve of major events like the Olympic Games. He stressed the importance of making WADA truly independent to ensure the integrity of the anti-doping system.

Tygart raised questions about the fairness of allowing athletes who had tested positive and had their results kept secret to compete alongside others in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Prominent swimmers like Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, and Yang Junxuan, who had won medals at the Tokyo Olympics, were among the 23 Chinese athletes involved.

In response to the allegations, China's foreign ministry spokesman dismissed the claims as "fake news." However, Tygart contested WADA's justification that contamination led to the positive tests. He pointed out that previous cases involving contamination, including ones in the US, did not involve USADA. This raised concerns over how many similar cases have been mishandled and violated the rules.

Tygart further questioned how TMZ, a controlled drug, ended up in the kitchen and whether any kitchen staff had a prescription or used the substance. He suggested reviewing CCTV footage to identify individuals with access to the kitchen, highlighting that Chinese Security Service could have interviewed hotel staff to determine its source. He also raised doubts about the cleanliness of the hotel, given the three and a half months it took for TMZ to be discovered.

Adding to the criticism, Rahul Gupta, President Joe Biden's top anti-doping official, expressed support for USADA's demands. Gupta emphasized the need for rigorous independent investigations to address potential wrongdoing in sporting events. He plans to raise the issue at a meeting of sports ministers scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C.

USADA highlighted several rule violations by WADA in this case. These violations included failure to find a violation in contamination cases, not disqualifying in-competition results, not imposing provisional suspensions, and not publicly announcing the violations. Furthermore, it criticized WADA for failing to appeal China's decision and not taking compliance actions against the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) for disregarding these rules.

The lack of adherence to their own rules and the evident double standards applied to different countries or circumstances have raised concerns about the transparency and trustworthiness of WADA's leadership and regulatory structure.

It remains to be seen how the independent investigation demanded by USADA will unfold and whether it will shed light on the alleged doping cover-up. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for the upcoming Paris Olympics and the integrity of the global anti-doping system.