Zhang urges fans to ‘look at facts’ of China doping furore

PARIS: China’s two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Zhang Yufei urged fans to “look at the facts” of doping allegations against her and her team-mates as she opened her campaign at the Paris Games on Saturday.

Zhang was named by the New York Times as one of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Chinese authorities said the positive tests were the result of food contamination – an explanation which was accepted by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

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The case has caused uproar in the sport, with US anti-doping authorities accusing WADA of a cover-up.

Zhang addressed the controversy on Saturday after stepping out of the pool following her opening heat in the 100m butterfly, insisting Chinese swimmers had nothing to hide.

“World Aquatics and the ITA (International Testing Agency) have investigated our Chinese athletes and the whole thing many times and tested them many times before we came to the Paris Olympics,” she told reporters through a translator.

“Each one of us was tested 20 to 30 times in two months, three to four times a week on average,” Zhang added, noting none had tested positive.

“Chinese athletes or foreign athletes they would not want to destroy all the hard work they have put in over the years by doping,” she added.

But while clearly frustrated that many continue to question the role of the Chinese and anti-doping authorities, Zhang was concerned how her fellow swimmers and the French public would view her.

“I competed very well with friends from different countries, now I come to participate in the Olympic Games I am very worried that my good friends to look at me with colored (suspicious) eyes and they do not want to compete with me.

“I am worried that French people think that Chinese athletes do not deserve to stand on this stage I would be aggrieved (if that was the case),” she said, urging any doubters to look at the details of the case.

“Just look at the objective facts,” she said.