China Announces Paris Roster Which Includes 11 Swimmers Who Tested Positive

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

The Chinese Swimming Federation has revealed its 31-strong swimming roster for the 2024 Olympic Games.

SwimSwam’s Roster Index for the 2024 Olympic Games

A squad of 18 females and 13 males will represent the nation in Paris, including 11 athletes involved in the trimetazidine (TMZ) scandal from the 2020 Olympic Games.

As we reported, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance at the start of the calendar year in 2021, about seven months before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The swimmers were not sanctioned by CHINADA, China’s anti-doping agency, as traces of TMZ were reportedly found present in the hotel the swimmers stayed at. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) upheld CHINADA’s decision.

Olympic champions Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun were among those who tested positive and have also been named to the Chinese roster for Paris, along with world record holder Qin Haiyang.

2024 World Championships bronze medalist Yu Yiting who tested positive will be in Paris as well.

Of note, world record holder and Olympic champion Sun Yang was not named on the roster. This is even though the once-banned 32-year-old had reportedly returned to training and also amidst rumors he would be competing at this weekend’s Sette Colli Trophy in Italy.

Even if he did hit a qualifying time by the June 23rd selection deadline, as we reported, China’s Olympic qualification criteria specified that athletes who have been banned for more than one year for doping violations will be disqualified from selection. (NBC Sports)

At the 2020 Olympic Games, China placed 4th in the overall swimming medal table, amassing 6 total medals including 3 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze. Golds came from Wang in the men’s 200m IM, Zhang in the women’s 200m fly and the women’s 4x200m free relay which established a new world record.

Females

Zhang Yufei
Ye Shiwen
Li Bingjie
Yang Junxuan
Tang Qianting
Yu Yiting
Peng Xuwei
Wu Qingfeng
Liu Yaxin
Yang Chang
Wan Letian
Wang Xueer
Gao Weizhong
Chen Luying
Tang Muhan
Cheng Yujie
Ge Chutong
Kong Yaqi

Males

Wang Shun
Xu Jiayu
Qin Haiyang
Pan Zhanle
Dong Zhihao
Ji Xinjie
Wang Haoyu
Zhang Zhanshuo
Wang Changhao
Sun Jiajun
Fei Liwei
Chen Juner
Niu Guangsheng

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