Following the announcement on Thursday that American sprinter Erriyon Knighton had tested positive for the banned drug trenbolone, China’s anti-doping agency, CHINADA, urged the International Testing Agency (ITA) to step up testing of U.S. track and field competitors.
Earlier this week, CHINADA accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of covering up, claiming that the U.S. counterpart had been “trying its best” to exonerate American athletes.
This year, Knighton tested positive for trenbolone; however, an arbitrator determined that the result was most likely the product of tainted meat, so Knighton was not suspended from the Paris Games. Regarding 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive prior to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but were still permitted to compete, the USADA chairman has been vocal.
On Thursday, CHINADA announced that meat contamination is a widespread concern for athletes worldwide, including those in the United States, and that trenbolone is one such contaminant. It stated that 31% of American athletes had insufficient testing in the 12 months leading up to the Tokyo Games, citing a recent WADA declaration.
CHINADA posted a statement on its WeChat account stating, “Given the above, we strongly call on the International Testing Agency (ITA) to intensify testing on the U.S. track and field athletes.”
“We also strongly recommend that the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) strengthen anti-doping supervision of the U.S. track and field, prevent the doping risks and strictly investigate relevant cases, in an endeavour to truly protect the legitimate rights and interests of the clean athletes around the world, and to rebuild the trust of global athletes in fair play.”
