A second Chinese swimmer has spoken out in a doping scandal that has rocked China ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
After winning the bronze medal in the men’s 200m individual medley on Friday, Wang Shun denied allegations he had cheated while training for the Paris Olympics.
“Chinese swimmers will only compete in clean competitions. That is our goal,” Wang said through an interpreter, according to the Associated Press.
The 30-year-old swimmer claimed he was tested 28 times during Olympic qualifying in May.
“I was tested 11 times in the two weeks before the Olympics,” Wang added. “All of these tests proved my innocence.”
Wang’s comments came just days after Zhang Yufei, who won three bronze medals at Friday’s games, also denied allegations that Chinese athletes had used steroids.
2024 Paris Olympics
“I don’t think any of the athletes, whether Chinese or foreign, will test positive for doping. They don’t want to waste all the hard work they’ve put in over the years by doping.” Zhang told reporters last weekend:.
A doping scandal has cast a shadow over the 2024 Olympics after reports in April revealed that 23 Chinese athletes had competed in the 2021 Olympics despite testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
Chinese authorities have denied the allegations, calling them “false,” “misleading” and “defamatory.”
According to Reuters, tests by China, the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Aquatics found widespread contamination.
But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a talking point at this Summer Olympics.
American swimming star Katie Ledecky said ahead of the Paris event that she hoped no athletes would try to gain an advantage by cheating.
“Everyone, [in Paris] “We’re going to come into this week with a clean slate,” Ledecky told The New York Times, “but the real question is, did they train with a clean slate? Hopefully they are. Hopefully there’s even testing going on around the world.”
