After news of the doping scandal broke in April, the World Anti-Doping Agency and Chinese authorities circled the wagons against increasing pressure from outraged athletes and national federations, leading to a back-and-forth that has done little to bring to light what really happened after 23 swimmers from said country tested positive for the drug trimetazidine prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and some even for the steroid clenbuterol before the 2016 Rio Games.

Both WADA and officials from China repeatedly attacked The New York Times’ reporting of the case and the countrythen went on to select 11 suspect swimmers to participate in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics; the decision worsened the matter, leading up to a US Congressional hearing where swimming icons like Michael Phelps called out the global policing body and politicians demanded answers from the national agency supposed to supervise the cheaters.

On Thursday, CHINADA declined.

"Such request, without any legal basis, is in violation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the legitimate rights and interest of the athletes,” the agency in a statement. "We will never accept the request for the publication of the case file made by USADA and certain members of the US Congress."

Just 27 days before the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, the situation seems far from de-escalating, as WADA lashed back at the congressional initiative as well on Wednesday, pointing out that "relevant organizations with responsibility for the anti-doping program during the Olympic Games were not invited. Instead, its focus was on a no-fault contamination case from 2021 involving 23 swimmers from the People’s Republic of China."

The global watchdog went on to state that "the hearing sought to further politicize a relatively straightforward case of mass contamination that has been turned into a scandal by a small number of individuals, mainly in the United States. It was another example of the World Anti-Doping Agency being dragged into a much broader struggle between two superpowers. As an independent and largely technical organization, WADA has no mandate to be part of those political debates."

Despite an independent investigation set up by WADA and Phelps’ plea, among others, China stands firm in its stance to not divulge information regarding its swimmers, while the international policing body has stressed that if the US chose not to honour its commitments to the Americas region and pay its agreed share of the annual contribution to its budget, a possibility that was floated during the congressional hearing, “significant ramifications” would ensue: notably the immediate loss of all positions the country currently holds within WADA’s governance structure, Executive Committee included.

In the hearing held in Washington DC, Phelps, who amasses 23 Olympic medals, along with four-time gold medallist Allison Schmitt said athletes' trust in WADA had been damaged by the scandal, while the United States Anti-Doping Agency president Travis Tygart, a frequent WADA critic, underlined that failure to reform the agency would be an "unacceptable injustice" to athletes, fans and sponsors.

On a separate note on Friday, WADA announced its two-year partnership agreement between Swiss Sport Integrity (SSI) and the Agence Marocaine Antidopage (AMAD) of Morocco, yet did not address the recent public statement by CHINADA.