IOC has 'full confidence' in Wada on China report

The International Olympic Committee says it has "full confidence" successful nan World Anti-Doping Agency pursuing a study into nan handling of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested affirmative for a banned substance.

Wada cleared nan swimmers to compete astatine nan Tokyo Olympics and Swiss charismatic Eric Cottier's interim study released this week cleared nan agency of immoderate bias.

The study besides recovered it was reasonable for Wada not to entreaty against nan determination by nan China Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) to not punish nan athletes.

The swimmers, 11 of whom person been selected for this month's Paris Olympics, tested affirmative for bosom medicine trimetazidine (TMZ) astatine a training campy 7 months earlier nan delayed Games successful 2021.

"Based connected this report, nan IOC reaffirms its afloat assurance successful Wada and its leadership, who person implemented a number of initiatives that person strengthened nan strategy successful caller years," nan IOC said successful a connection connected Thursday.

"The only remaining questions are truthful procedural ones. The IOC took statement of nan truth that Wada has already committed to addressing immoderate specified procedural recommendations that whitethorn beryllium included successful nan last report."

Chinada wished nan swimmers had unintentionally ingested nan constituent because of contamination.

The lawsuit has drawn disapproval from athletes and nan United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), whose main executive Travis Tygart suggested a cover-up - a declare Wada rejected arsenic "completely mendacious and defamatory".

The IOC, however, has called for each "stakeholders" to respect Wada's "supreme authority" successful nan conflict against doping.

"This respect forms nan ground connected which Wada was founded by nan governments of nan world and nan Olympic Movement," nan IOC said.

"This respect is basal for immoderate adjacent world competition."

Cottier's afloat study is expected successful nan coming weeks.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is besides investigating nan case, which Wada said connected Thursday it was "disappointed" to learn.