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World Anti-Doping Agency ‘disappointed’ at US investigation into Chinese doping case

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As geopolitical tensions between the United States and China spilled onto the Olympic stage, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said it had been “unfairly caught in the middle” of the conflict between the two countries.

China’s swimmers have been in the spotlight after a series of doping allegations, followed by controversial US claims that Wada covered them up.

Chinese swimmers travelling to Paris were subjected to twice as many doping tests as some other countries, fuelling accusations of a conspiracy to hinder their performance.

Wada said on Tuesday that it was “caught in the middle of geopolitical tensions between superpowers, but has no mandate to get involved”.

James Fitzgerald, Wada’s head of media relations, told the BBC: “Some people [in the US] are trying to score political points simply because the athletes in question are Chinese. As a result, it has created mistrust and division within the anti-doping system,” Fitzgerald told the BBC.

Last week, Wada said it was considering legal action against its US counterpart Usada over the “defamatory” allegations.

Usada had accused Wada and China’s anti-doping agency Chinada of being among the “dirty hands that covered up positive tests and silenced the voices of brave whistleblowers”.

Members of the US Congress have also accused Wada of failing to properly investigate doping allegations against Chinese swimmers, and last Tuesday even introduced a bill to authorise the White House to cut the agency’s funding.

“When congressmen and senators get involved in the largely technical world of anti-doping, it ceases to be a scientific and legal analysis and moves into the political realm,” Fitzgerald said.

Tainted food and supplements the real culprit

Wada’s announcement on Tuesday followed a New York Times report on a previously undisclosed case in which two Chinese swimmers, one of whom was on this year’s Olympic team, were being investigated for doping.

The two swimmers had tested positive for a banned steroid in 2022, but were allowed to compete. China’s anti-doping agency concluded that the athletes had unknowingly consumed steroids, possibly by eating contaminated hamburgers.

Usada accused Wada of “tilting the field in their favour by allowing China to compete under a different set of rules”. But Wada defended its decision.

Wada said the athletes’ supplements and hair tests had returned negative results and that both swimmers had given control samples that tested negative in the days before and after the positive test. He added that the two swimmers had been suspended for more than a year and that their cases had been closed.

“Judging by the number of cases, it is clear that there is a contamination problem in different countries around the world,” the agency said, adding that the two athletes’ cases were part of a “wider series of cases involving [Chinese] athletes from different sports”.

Wada said in June that athletes who eat meat sometimes test positive for drugs if they take clenbuterol, a banned substance used as a growth promoter for livestock.

The agency is investigating cases of contamination in China as well as Mexico, Guatemala and other countries, it said in response to questions from The New York Times.

The head of the agency, Olivier Niggli, said at the time that the US media “only asked about China when meat contamination is a problem in many countries” and referred to “attempts to politicise the fight against doping”.

US swimming champion Katie Ledecky also weighed in on the debate

All this follows a bigger controversy in April, when the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs months before the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

But they were allowed to compete after Chinese authorities said the results were due to contamination. The 30-strong team won six medals in Tokyo, including three gold.

Eleven of those who tested positive were selected for the Chinese swimming team for the Paris Olympics.

But US swimmer and 11-time Olympic medallist Katie Ledecky said her confidence in anti-doping authorities was at an “all-time low” after the news of the 23 Chinese swimmers.

Independent investigation backs Wada

But Wada’s investigation found that the source of the heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) was “unable to refute the possibility of contamination”.

The report said the contamination theory was supported by the “consistently low concentrations of TMZ as well as the absence of a doping pattern” among the athletes tested.

That is, test results over several days were not consistent, fluctuating between negative and positive.

An independent investigation found that Wada had not mishandled the case or favoured the Chinese swimmers.

Chinese swimmers tested more than usual

Scandals have piled pressure on anti-doping authorities, and the Chinese swim team was subjected to far more tests than usual when it arrived in Paris.

Since January, each of the 31 members of the team has been tested an average of 21 times by various anti-doping organisations, according to World Aquatics, which oversees swimming.

By contrast, Australia’s 41 swimmers have been tested an average of four times and the USA’s 46 swimmers an average of six times.

The testing inflation has led to a number of other allegations. The Global Times, which is close to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), accused Western powers of “abusing doping tests to disrupt the [Chinese] swimming team”.

Speaking to the Global Times, a professor of international politics in Shanghai accused the US of dominating anti-doping rules.

Shen Yi claimed that “cruel and unethical testing” had disrupted the Chinese team’s training and called it “a disgrace to the Olympics”.

Chinese record swimmer: Our performance is threatened

Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang, who holds the world record in the men’s 200m breaststroke, said the constant testing “proves that the European and American teams feel threatened by the Chinese team’s performances in recent years”.

“Some tricks are aimed at disrupting our preparation rhythm and destroying our psychological defences. But we are not afraid,” he said.

Qin, who won gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke at last year’s World Championships, finished seventh in the men’s 100m breaststroke final at the Paris Olympics.

The criticism was echoed by former Chinese diving champion Gao Min, who said the rigorous testing had “corrupted the Chinese swimming team” and described Qin’s performance as “the worst in any competition in the past two years”.

China’s current medal tally is one gold, two silvers and two bronzes.

China’s “butterfly queen” Zhang Yufei, who won silver in the 100 metres in Tokyo, was in tears over her bronze medal in Paris but said the doping tests had not had a major impact on her.

Although the tests were “a bit annoying”, Zhang Yufei said the real pressure was “much greater” than she had imagined.

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Greece’s Marinakis says paying Hormuz transit fees beats enduring Red Sea shipping crisis detour

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03/06/2026

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Evangelos Marinakis, one of Greece’s leading shipowners, has announced that he is prepared to pay up to $200,000 per transit to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to civilian maritime traffic.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Marinakis stated that paying a transit fee would be a far better option for him than having the strait closed to navigation.

As the chairman of Capital Maritime Group, which controls a fleet of 185 vessels including approximately 35 tankers, Marinakis emphasized that shipowners have been forced to use alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope for years due to attacks launched by the Houthis in the Red Sea, a detour that has generated substantial additional costs.

The Greek shipowner indicated that paying a transit fee of $100,000 or $200,000, depending on the size of the cargo or the vessel, is far more reasonable than enduring the current logistical challenges. He added that such payments could offset all the losses experienced so far.

Following US strikes on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Tehran administration had introduced transit fees of up to $2 million for certain vessels transiting the waterway.

In May, Iran announced the establishment of a state agency tasked with managing the Strait of Hormuz. It was stated that the institution in question would provide real-time updates regarding maritime activities in the waterway.

Ebrahim Azizi, the chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, had noted that only commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Iran would be able to benefit from the facilities provided under this “professional mechanism.”

US President Donald Trump has explicitly opposed the imposition of transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement on the matter, Trump said, “We want the strait to be open. We do not want any transit fees to be charged. This is an international waterway.”

On the other hand, the draft text of a planned 60-day ceasefire extension agreement between the parties stipulates that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open without any transit fees being demanded.

According to the draft details reviewed by Axios, the US in return commits to lifting the blockade it has imposed on Iranian ports. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, announced that the management of the Strait of Hormuz has been excluded from the scope of the agreement with the US, asserting that the issue will be addressed solely by littoral states.

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Pashinyan promises aid to farmers hit by Russian import restrictions

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02/06/2026

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pledged compensation for Armenian farmers affected by restrictions on exports to Russia.

According to Sputnik Armenia, Pashinyan made the announcement during an election campaign meeting in the Gegharkunik region.

Speaking at the event, Pashinyan said the subsidies would be designed to offset losses incurred by producers.

The prime minister also acknowledged that some Armenian products had failed to meet required quality standards, adding that such companies would receive support aimed at improving product quality.

Addressing alternative markets for Armenian exports, Pashinyan said several Armenian business delegations were already engaged in negotiations abroad.

He added that Armenia had received offers for the purchase of roses as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pashinyan argued that Armenia’s agricultural output was not particularly large, describing this as an advantage under current circumstances. According to the prime minister, “a respected supermarket chain in Europe” would be capable of selling the entire volume of these products on its own.

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) imposed temporary restrictions on imports of stone fruits and grapes from Armenia effective July 2.

The ban covers cherries, sour cherries, apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines, among other products.

On the same day, a temporary suspension was also introduced on certification procedures for live fish shipments from Armenia. Russian authorities had previously restricted the entry of flower products originating from Armenia into the Russian market.

In addition, Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) halted the import of all consignments of Jermuk mineral water from Armenia.

In a statement, the agency said levels of bicarbonate, chloride and sulfate ions in the mineral water exceeded established limits and could mislead consumers regarding the product’s medicinal properties.

The Russian regulator argued that the growing number of violations stemmed from the abolition of Armenia’s Agriculture Ministry and the transfer of its responsibilities to the Economy Ministry.

Rosselkhoznadzor further stated that Armenia’s Economy Ministry was experiencing structural problems and was unable to adequately perform the supervisory functions assigned to it.

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Zelenskyy urges US to grant Ukraine license to produce Patriot missiles

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2 days ago

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01/06/2026

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has asked the United States to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defence system.

In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy argued that current US production of missile defence interceptors is insufficient and could contribute to crises in different parts of the world.

“Producing 60-65 missiles a month is nothing compared with the challenges we face today. This is no secret, and Russia knows it as well,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We need to expand production. As I requested from the previous US administration, I am asking the current administration to grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missiles.”

Zelenskyy said US companies possess advanced technologies that are not available in Ukraine, while Kyiv could contribute its extensive battlefield experience in return.

He also argued that granting such a license would benefit not only Ukraine, but also the Middle East and any country Washington chooses to support.

Washington pledges to maintain defence support

Zelenskyy’s remarks came a day after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on May 30 that Washington would continue supporting Ukraine’s defence capabilities and ensure military shipments to Kyiv continue.

“We want them to be able to defend themselves, and we will find a way to help them do that,” Hegseth said.

Several days earlier, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, warned that the country’s air defence forces were experiencing a shortage of missiles.

“Due to certain supply problems, we are practically at starvation levels when it comes to missiles today,” Ihnat said.

Concerns persist over air defence missile stocks

In April, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine’s stockpile of air defence missiles could be exhausted at any moment.

He said that under current conditions, air defence missiles were more critical for Ukraine than the air defence systems themselves.

Highlighting what he described as a critical shortage of Patriot missiles, Zelenskyy said: “We are facing a deficit now that could hardly be worse.”

Concerns that Ukraine could face a severe shortage of US-made air defence missiles had previously been reported by Reuters.

The situation was expected to worsen as the United States and its allies depleted significant portions of their arsenals during tensions with Iran, a point Zelenskyy also underscored.

In a separate statement in January, Zelenskyy said Ukraine lacked sufficient missiles for both US- and European-made air defence systems.

The Ukrainian leader said he had been forced to personally secure every package of missiles from European countries and the United States.

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