It seems like Denis Cotterell is vigorously defending Chinese swimming against allegations of systemic doping following a drug scandal. Cotterell, who has been associated with the Chinese Swimming Association since 2009 and has coached swimmers like Sun Yang, refutes claims of state-run doping programs. He insists that positive test results were not orchestrated and attributes them to contaminated food, as determined by officials from China’s Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Cotterell acknowledges perceived double standards in how positive drug tests are handled, citing the case of Australian swimmer Shayna Jack, who faced a ban despite proving contamination. He emphasizes that the process followed by swimming officials and anti-doping agencies could have been better and expresses sympathy for athletes caught up in such circumstances. Despite the controversy, Cotterell stands by his swimmers and their dedication to clean sport, hoping to eliminate the tarnished reputation from past doping scandals.
“If it was contaminated, it’s unfortunate. It’s really, really sad because that is the risk and that obviously happened.
“I’ve got one of my friends here who was the coach there through COVID. The camp they went to, the conditions were atrocious, he said. If those people don’t buy the right food or meat, that’s going to be an outcome.”
Asked if all food was normally prepared for Chinese swimmers, Cotterell said: “Hell yeah. If they go to a camp situation and the chefs are there, they are going to trust they aren’t buying the wrong food. It’s a consistent risk. They are not allowed to eat outside anywhere. When they go on a plane, they can’t eat the food.
“We were held up for six hours recently. They were stuck in the airport. They can’t go and eat any food anywhere. The national training base had to prepare food and send it to the airport for the kids to eat. That is their daily life. That’s the precautions and sacrifices they take to avoid that risk.”
Leave a Reply