Sport | Chinese swimmers failed doping tests prior to 2021 Tokyo Olympics, yet still competed

Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony (Getty)

Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony (Getty)

Twenty-three Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but were allowed to compete after world governing bodies secretly accepted China’s findings that they had ingested it unknowingly, The New York Times said Saturday.

The athletes included nearly half of the swimming team that China sent to Japan, with several going on to win medals, including gold, according to the report.

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