The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) has admitted there have been "six recent positive drugs tests by Chinese swimmers but denied claims of a cover-up," according to Neil Gardner of the LONDON TIMES. According to the TASS news agency, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) also claimed it had "not covered up positive doping tests by Russian swimmers." Whistleblowers within Chinese swimming had approached the London Times alleging that five tests "had been hidden to avoid a storm before the Olympic trials next month" and asked the newspaper to pass the information to WADA, which is now investigating. Two of the tests "are believed to have been failed in October and the other three at the turn of the year." However, CHINADA Deputy Dir Zhao Jian said that it had recorded three positive tests, "all for clenbuterol, a stimulant drug that increases aerobic capacity," in late August and early September and stressed that the swimming federation "would soon issue punishments in those cases and make the results public." Zhao also revealed there have "also been three positive tests" since the beginning of '16, all in January. Zhao: "Since the very beginning, China has never covered up any positive doping tests." The revelations come as FINA and WADA "also vowed to investigate" revelations concerning the extent of doping in Russian swimming (LONDON TIMES, 3/24). The London GUARDIAN reported double Olympic Gold Medalist Rebecca Adlington has called for a "full-on investigation" into claims of widespread doping in Russian and Chinese swimming. Adlington, who won the 400m and 800m freestyle titles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said swimmers at the Rio Games in August "needed to be confident" they were racing against "clean" opponents. Adlington: "This is a subject that, as a former athlete, I know all about. We know what it feels like to step up on your blocks at an Olympic Games and look sideways at the other swimmers in the next lanes and be thinking, 'Are you clean? Are you not? Is something going to come out afterwards?' Something has to happen. FINA and the organizers really have to go into it further and have a full-on investigation. That’s the only way we are going to be able to say the sport is clean" (GUARDIAN, 3/24). The AP's Christopher Bodeen reported WADA spokesperson Ben Nichols said, ''These are very serious allegations concerning Chinese swimming that warrant further examination. WADA is now fully scrutinizing the information that The Times newspaper has passed on to us so that we can determine exactly what the appropriate steps are and so that we can address this matter head on" (AP, 3/24).
