Since the revelation that 23 elite Chinese swimmers tested positive before the 2021 Olympics for a banned performance-enhancing drug, Chinese and anti-doping officials have repeatedly defended their decision not to discipline the athletes by invoking scientific analysis.
The officials said the science — which relied heavily on hastily arranged human trials of the drug in question — backed up their conclusion that the swimmers were unwittingly contaminated, most likely through food served to them at a hotel where they were staying during a meet.
But an examination by The New York Times of the secret human trials conducted by the Chinese during their investigation into the positive tests and interviews with experts suggests the science is not as clear-cut as the officials have claimed.
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