Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky is raising alarms about waning faith in anti-doping authorities as she prepares for potentially her final Games in Paris this summer.
In an interview with CBS News, the American swimming superstar said confidence in the anti-doping system is at an “all-time low” following the handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers who tested positive for banned substances before the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s hard going into Paris knowing that we’re going to be racing some of these athletes,” Ledecky stated. “And I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low.”
Reports emerged last month that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in the lead up to the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games. However, Chinese authorities claimed the positive tests were due to contamination and the swimmers were ultimately allowed to compete without penalty.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted China’s explanation, saying it had little chance of winning an appeal – a decision that has outraged many in the sport of swimming.
“It doesn’t seem like everything was followed to a ‘T'” regarding the handling of the case, said Ledecky, whose six individual Olympic gold medals is a women’s record.
The 26-year-old is demanding more accountability and transparency around the allegations against the Chinese swimmers and WADA’s subsequent response.
“I’d like to see some answers as to why this happened the way it did. And I’d really like to see that steps are taken for the future so that we can regain some confidence in the global system,” Ledecky urged.
While WADA hired an external party to review how the case unfolded, critics contend the probe lacks true independence and has too narrow a scope.
With the Paris Olympics quickly approaching, Ledecky added her voice to the chorus of athletes calling for a complete reexamination of the Chinese doping affair.
“I think the whole case has to be reexamined independently and thoroughly, and all the information needs to be out there,” she insisted.
Ledecky’s outspoken stance reflects escalating frustrations over suspected anti-doping loopholes that could undermine a level playing field at the upcoming Games – particularly in a sport like swimming with a longstanding doping stigma.