Countries Have Long Tested Their Own Athletes for Doping. That Could Soon Change.

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Tariq PanjaFebruary 2, 2026 at 02:47 PM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

The World Antidoping Agency (WADA) is considering a major change to its testing rules before major international competitions like the Olympics. This comes after Chinese swimmers won Olympic gold in 2021 despite testing positive for a banned substance, which was later revealed to have been cleared by the Chinese antidoping regulator due to food contamination. WADA has commissioned a working group to study the feasibility of an independent organization conducting at least part of the testing. The change is aimed at restoring credibility after criticism from some members of the global antidoping community following the 2021 incident. The discussions are occurring too late for the Winter Olympics, but could come into play before the Summer Olympics in 2028. WADA has denied any wrongdoing or failure to act in the 2021 episode.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Italy 30% Winter Olympics 40% United States 40% Los Angeles 40% Olivier Niggli 50% Zhang Yufei 60% Tokyo Olympics ×270% China ×480% World Antidoping Agency (WADA) ×790%

Keywords

doping 100% world antidoping agency 90% athlete testing 80% banned substance 70% independent testing 70% chinese swimmers 60% olympic games 60% food contamination 40%