International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has backed the World Anti-Doping Agency over its handling of 23 Chinese swimmers' positive drug tests.
“We have full confidence in WADA and its regulations and we are confident that they are following their regulations,” Bach told AFP in an exclusive interview at the commission's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday. ” he said.
WADA has come under fire after media reports revealed over the weekend that Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the performance-enhancing heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. facing.
The swimmers were not suspended or sanctioned because WADA accepted Chinese authorities' explanation that the cause was food contamination at the hotel where they were staying.
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Director Travis Tygart called the situation a “possible cover-up” because the positive tests were not made public at the time.
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Bach stressed that although WADA is funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it operates independently, and said he learned of the positive test through the media.
The IOC is awaiting the results of a new investigation ordered by WADA on Thursday, but Bach said Chinese swimmers could compete at this year's Paris Olympics if cleared.
“If the protocols are followed, there is no reason for them not to participate,” added the 70-year-old former German fencer.
Bach said the Paris Games will be important for “reviving the Olympic spirit” after sports were played behind closed doors at the 2021 Tokyo Games due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The highly ambitious opening ceremony planned by French organizers remains one of the biggest questions, as infrastructure for the Games has already been built or is on track.
Instead of the traditional parade through the athletics stadium on opening night, the team will sail down the Seine in a flotilla of riverboats in front of up to 500,000 spectators.
There is persistent speculation that the ceremony may have to be canceled or significantly scaled back due to fears of a terrorist attack.
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“The very careful and very professional approach[of the French authorities]allowed us to hold the opening ceremony on the Seine, making it symbolic and unforgettable for the athletes. It gives us confidence that it will be safe and that everyone will be safe.'' And safe,'' Bach said.
He said the recent dissatisfaction among Parisians and negative media coverage were typical of the run-up to the Olympics and also a sign of widespread anxiety.
“This is part of the zeitgeist because we live in uncertain times. And some people are skeptical. Some people are scared. Some people are worried about their future.” said the IOC president.
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As with previous Olympics, international politics and diplomacy are about to intervene in the world's biggest sporting event.
Bach reiterated his support for the IOC's decision to exclude Russia from the Paris Games, citing a “blatant violation” of the Olympic Charter by annexing Ukrainian sports organizations.
A small number of Russian athletes can compete in Paris as a neutral country, provided they have not expressed public support for the invasion of Ukraine or have ties to security forces.
Russian athletes who expressed political views on the field, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's war symbol “Z”, could be excluded.
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“A disciplinary procedure will be initiated immediately and the necessary measures and sanctions will be taken,” Bach said, adding: “This could lead to immediate expulsion from the competition.”
Referring to Israel's military operation in Gaza, he said between six and eight Palestinian athletes will compete in Paris, and that some who fail to qualify will be invited by the IOC.
Bach dismissed suggestions that the IOC had treated Russia's invasion of Ukraine differently than the wars in Israel and Gaza.
“The situation in Israel and Palestine is completely different,” he said.
He said his public statements about Ukraine, the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza were fair.
“From day one, we expressed how horrified we were about October 7 and then about the war and its terrible consequences,” Bach said.
Palestinian militants from Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,170 people, according to an AFP tally of Israeli officials.
According to the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, 34,356 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israel's retaliatory military operation aimed at destroying Hamas.
Bach is in the final year of his second and final four-year term, according to IOC regulations.
However, some IOC members have suggested changes to the organization's rules to allow him to remain in charge, but he has refused to address the issue.
“The IOC Ethics Committee has given me a strict recommendation not to address this issue until after Paris (Olympics), and I think there are good reasons for this,” he said.
