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Meredith Chen

Relentless doping tests “seven times a day” were definitely to blame for China’s subpar performances in the pool on Sunday, China star Gao Min said.
The comments by Gao, dubbed “China’s diving queen”, sparked another wave of discussion on social media over what many see as the unfair treatment of the country’s swimmers.
Chinese athletes have been targeted for drug testing almost four times more than their rivals from other countries in the run-up to the Paris Olympics.
“The athletes’ pre-competition training evidently ran into some snags,” Gao posted on social media platform Weibo. “I think the routine of seven doping tests in a single day has successfully disrupted our Chinese swimming team.
“I hope those who have been speaking online that gold medals are not important and how relaxed the foreign athletes are can just stop talking now.
“If gold medals truly don’t matter to them [the foreign people], then why are they so obsessed with how many doping tests our Chinese swimming athletes have to go through every single day?”

As of Monday evening, the topic “the swim team’s performance was disrupted by drug testing seven times a day” had been viewed more than 2.7 million times.
While spectator roared for their athletes at La Defense Arena, Chinese fans sighed over the disappointing results of those who had been seen as front-runners for Olympic gold.
Zhang Yufei took bronze in the women’s 100m butterfly, in a time of 56.21 seconds. She swan a 55.64 when winning silver in Tokyo three years ago.
Qin Haiyang, who swept the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke last year in the world championships, finished in seventh place in the men’s 100m breaststroke final, clocking 59.50.
Qin and Zhang were both among the 11 Chinese swimmers in Paris who tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Tokyo Games, but were not sanctioned, which not only put the Chinese swimmers to Paris under suspicion but also subjected them to an increased number of drug tests.
China’s swimmers were tested on average five to seven times each in their first 10 days in France, and at all times of day and night, the Chinese swimming team’s nutritionist, Yu Liang, complained on Weibo earlier.
They were the most-tested athletes before the games started in the French capital with an average of 21 anti-doping tests each – almost four times as much as their US counterparts, World Aquatics confirmed.

Qin’s performance was his worst in competitions over the past two years, the diving great Gao said.
He received a lukewarm reception from the crowd packed into La Defense Arena before the semi-final.
The 25-year-old, who holds the 200m breaststroke world record of 2 minutes, 5.48 seconds, said he could not pinpoint why he had struggled.
“I don’t believe it was a problem with my physical abilities, but I was unable to properly adjust my mindset when facing the competition,” he told state media.
Last week, he accused doping testers at the Olympic Games of being part of a “European and American” plot to unsettle China’s team.
Despite the pressure of the Olympic Games being “far greater” than she had imagined, Zhang said the frequent drug tests did not have a big impact on her – though she was seen wiping her tears after walking down the podium last night.
“The only thing is, being woken up at 5am for the checks can be a bit annoying,” she said.


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: diving queen blames ‘7 times a day’ drug tests for Chinese swimmers’ showing

Qin Haiyang (left), who finished seventh in the 100m breaststroke final, accused doping testers of being part of a “European and American” plot to unsettle China’s team. Photo: Xinhua

Gao Min, China’s “Queen of Diving”, says the continual testing has “successfully disrupted our Chinese swimming team”. Photo: Peter Simpson

China’s Zhang Yufei after finishing third in the 100m butterfly on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Chinese swimmers drug tested almost 4 times more than United States at Paris Olympics

Chinese swimmers have been tested more than any other athletes leading into the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Qin Haiyang (pictured) along with teammate Zhang Yufei were the swimmers most tested for doping in 2023. Photo: AP

World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam said top priority that ‘fair competition’. Photo: EPA

Paris Olympics: Zhang Yufei’s swimming bronze sparks sympathy, fury on Chinese social media

China’s Yufei Zhang (right) won the bronze medal as United States pair Torri Huske (centre) won the gold and Gretchen Walsh the silver in the women’s 100m butterfly. Photo: Reuters

An emotional Yufei Zhang as she receives her bronze medal after the women’s 100-metre butterfly. Photo: Reuters

‘Paris pools too shallow’: social media reacts to slower Olympic times than in Tokyo

Nicolo Martinenghi winning time in the men’s 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics would have been enough for eighth in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters

China’s Qin Haiyang record a lower time in the 100m breaststroke semi-final than in the final at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese Olympic gold medal winners’ pose sparks social media jokes about relationship

Chang Yani (left) and Chen Yiwen (right) show their closeness in the celebrations after winning synchronised diving gold medals in Paris. Photo: Reuters

Fans on social media have enjoyed watching Chen Yiwen and partner Chang Yani together after their gold medal triumph. Photo: Xiaohongshu

Chinese swimmers ‘given almost 200 drug tests in 10 days’ after arrival for Paris Olympics

Qin Haiyang of China wins the 200 metres breaststroke at the 2023 world championships. Photo: Kyodo

Zhang Yufei is among 11 Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021 and will compete in Paris. Photo: AFP

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

Aquatics

Gao Min sparks another wave of social media talk after comments on rigorous drug testing


Gao Min sparks another wave of social media talk after comments on rigorous drug testing.


Swimming

Doping in sport

Qin Haiyang

Zhang Yufei