Suspected, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking to clear customs. At the heart of a case linked to the positive tests of twenty-three Chinese swimmers in 2021, WADA appointed, Thursday April 25, an independent prosecutor who will be responsible for examining its management of this file.
Read also | Swimmers tested positive but not sanctioned, Chinese swimming plunged into a vast doping affair
“WADA’s integrity and reputation are under attack”said the Pole Witold Banka, president of the agency, in a press release. “We continue to reject the false accusations and are pleased to be able to entrust these matters to an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor”he added.
The decision to appoint Eric Cottier, a retired Swiss prosecutor, was taken unanimously by the executive committee, which met virtually this Thursday. At the same time, the agency will launch ” shortly “ a compliance audit in China for “assess the current state of its anti-doping program”.
According to a recent investigation by the German channel ARD and the New York Timestwenty-three of the best Chinese swimmers tested positive in early 2021 for trimetazidine, a substance banned since 2014 on the grounds that it improves blood circulation, already detected in Chinese swimmer Sun Yang and young Russian skater Kamila Valieva.
Conclusions before the Olympics
Of these twenty-three swimmers, thirteen participated in the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021. And three returned with gold around their necks: Zhang Yufei (200 m butterfly and 4 × 200 m freestyle), Wang Shun (200m medley) and Yang Junxuan (4 × 200m freestyle). At the time, no provisional suspension had been issued against these swimmers, then a report from the Chinese anti-doping agency (Chinada) concluded, in March 2021, that there was food contamination. WADA then validated this conclusion.
Since Saturday, the affair has raised questions about the transparency and fairness of global anti-doping, already shaken a few years ago by the cheating of another sporting giant: Russia. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USA) notably called on Tuesday for an overhaul of WADA and an independent investigation into this matter.
Read also | Athlete Dimitri Bascou, Olympic bronze medalist in 2016, tested positive for steroids
Thursday, the AMA, whose headquarters is in Montreal (Canada), assured in its press release that the prosecutor Cottier would benefit “full and unhindered access to all WADA files and documents relating to this matter”. She said he would begin his investigation in “the days to come” and that it should render its conclusions “within two months”, therefore before the next Olympic Games in Paris (July 26-August 11).
Regarding the upcoming inspection in China, WADA announced that it would “invite a number of independent auditors from the broad anti-doping community to join the audit team for this mission”.
Service Sports (with AFP)
an independent prosecutor appointed to examine the role of the World Anti-Doping Agency
Adrian Newey would leave Red Bull to go to Ferrari, according to reports
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Adrian Newey would leave Red Bull to go to Ferrari, according to reports
The Taiwanese Tai once again deprives Carolina Marín of the title of master of the badminton circuit
The Taiwanese Tai Tzu Ying was proclaimed master of the badminton circuit this Sunday for the second time and, like the first, in 2020, at the expense of the Spanish Carolina Marín, who shone with a great game in the first set but cannot maintain control in the next two rounds (12-21, 21-14 and 21-18).
Marín, three-time world champion, one-time Olympic champion and six-time European champion, aspired to obtain the only major title missing from her list, that of the BWF circuit finals. But she didn’t make it in Hangzhou (China), after a close fight with Tai for one hour and three minutes.
The theoretical equality between both finalists, the Taiwanese fourth in the world, the Spanish fifth, took little time to be broken in the first stages in favor of Marín, who made few errors, while his rival could not find any other way than to take risks and repeatedly sent the steering wheel out of bounds.
Marín, brilliant near the net
At 14-8, they played a very long point with 30 exchanges that ended with the Asian on the ground, in an attempt to reach the impossible. Marín was grown up, quick with reflexes, and she extended her advantage to 20-11. Tai saved the first game point but on the second a shot by Marín forced her to force a return.
In the second game there were no significant advantages until Tai’s 15-11, which raised doubts in the Andalusian’s game. For the first time he chained a long series of errors and his rival took advantage of them, punishing Marín at the net, and took the set 21-14.
It was difficult for Marín to overcome that bump. He was seen making unusual gestures for her, such as raising his hand to his head as a sign of desperation. But with two winners in a row (6-4) she got back to work.
Tai hurt his right leg trying to reach the shuttlecock (8-6) and took a few seconds to recover, although he was able to continue without problems.
Two titles this season
After an error by Marín, who missed a serve that was going inside, and a help to Tai from the net, the Taiwanese took the lead with a shot from the Spanish outside (11-10).
Marín never took the lead again. His rival showed an aggressiveness and precision that had not been seen until then, she expanded margins and took four match points (20-16).
Marín avoided the first two, but finished wide in the third.
Both finalists have played 23 times, now with one more victory, 12-11, for the Taiwanese. Of her five games this year, three have been for the Spanish.
Marín closes the season with two titles, after his victories in the Orleans Masters, in April, and in the European Games, in July.
He also played in the finals of the world championships, the Indonesian Masters and the Denmark Open.
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2024-04-25 18:45:22
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The Taiwanese Tai once again deprives Carolina Marín of the title of master of the badminton circuit