Last night, a diplomatic storm began to form around Olympic swimming star Ye Shiwen.
The 16-year-old from China had to refute allegations of drug use after a well-known US coach labeled her gold medal-winning performance as ‘unbelievable’.
Her assertive statement that the world record-breaking swim on Saturday, where she surpassed the winner of the men’s event, stemmed solely from ‘hard work and training’ did little to quell the doping controversy surrounding London 2012.
John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association in the US, described Miss Ye’s swim on Saturday, when she broke the Olympic record in another event, as ‘unbelievable’ and ‘disturbing’.
This remark came as anti-doping officials disclosed that cleaners and security personnel have been instructed to observe athletes in the Olympic Village and report any suspicious behaviors potentially linked to performance-enhancing drug use.
Ye’s gold medal was in the 400m individual medley, during which she completed the last 50m of the freestyle leg in 28.93 seconds, compared to the 29.1 seconds recorded by 27-year-old American Ryan Lochte just minutes earlier in the men’s event.
Her overall time for the event improved by more than five seconds from her previous personal best.
When questioned about drug use, she asserted to the China News Service last night: ‘There is absolutely no issue with doping. China has always maintained a strict anti-doping policy. My achievements stem from hard work and training, and I would never resort to any banned substances. The Chinese people are clean.’
Nevertheless, Mr. Leonard compared the final 100m of Miss Ye’s swimming to performances of past East German swimmers, many of whom were later discovered to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
He remarked that Miss Ye resembles Superwoman, stating: ‘Any athlete who has performed like Superwoman in our sport’s history has ultimately been found guilty of doping.’
If an athlete can outpace one of the fastest male swimmers globally and finish three-and-a-half lengths ahead of her closest female competitor, he argued, ‘all those factors raise legitimate questions about that swim’.
Mr. Leonard further called for a probe into the Chinese swimmers, suggesting the possibility of genetic manipulation.
‘This is a result that warrants an explanation – it is unprecedented,’ he stated. He added that genetic manipulation in animals has led to enhanced strength and oxygen utilization, wondering, ‘Who knows what it could do to humans?’
As a gold medalist, Miss Ye will have undergone automatic drug testing, as the top four finishers in each race are routinely screened.
Last night, she continued her remarkable performance by setting a new Olympic record in the semi-finals of her top event, the 200m individual medley, clocking a time of 2 mins 8.39 seconds.
Jonathan Harris, head of anti-doping for London 2012, stated that organizers had thoroughly briefed security, cleaning, and event services staff on the doping issue so that if they came across any suspicious practices or materials, they would notify the authorities, who would then investigate accordingly.
A source familiar with the British swimming team, who wished to remain anonymous, commented yesterday: ‘Since Saturday, there has been much discussion regarding the Chinese swimmers, especially Ye, and how they appear to have emerged from nowhere to achieve such remarkable times.’
‘We are all aware of the harsh training regimens imposed on Chinese swimmers.’
One observation came on Sunday. After securing silver in the 100m butterfly, Chinese athlete Lu Ling stated: ‘In China, we focus on study, study, train, train, and then rest. I believe our mindset has numerous limitations. In Australia, my teammates have invited me to barbecues – that is something that would never occur in China.’
Officials have indicated that 1,461 drug tests have already been conducted during these Olympics, with results yet to be publicly revealed; testers are authorized to collect samples at any moment.
by Terence Johns
