Michael Phelpsrecalled being labeled a “cheater” throughout his career while addressing the recentChinese doping scandal.
The 39-year-old swimmer intensified his stance on the issue and advocated for a lifetime ban for athletes caught using banned substances.
The recent scandal surfaced after 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substances before the Tokyo Olympics. However, the discovery was not immediately disclosed to the public.
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Amid the Chinese doping scandal, Michael Phelpsadvocated for a lifetime ban on athletes caught doping
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The World Anti-Doping Agency and World Aquatics were aware of the results but only confirmed them to the public after media reports emerged this year.
The two bodies accepted China’s explanation that the positive tests resulted from tainted food.
Among the swimmers who were caught, nine of them went on to win medals in the ongoing Paris Olympics. Their participation sparked outrage and claims of an uneven playing field.
Britain’s Adam Peaty voiced his frustration after the British team finished fourth in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the Chinese team won.
Nine Chinese swimmers, who tested positive for banned substances in the previous Olympics, were allowed to compete and won medals in the ongoing Paris Olympics
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He also recalled how, during his days of Olympic glory, he would subject himself to constant testing to prove that he was clean for all five of his Olympics.
“People called me a cheater throughout my career,” he said. “I subjected myself to do more testing — blood and urine — weekly. Why? For the reason that I could say I’m not cheating and I am clean and here are the results.”
“I did it the clean way,” he added. “I won 23 Olympic gold medals the clean way. It can be done.”
The swimming icon said he also believes some of his fellow competitors were doping when he won all of his 28 Olympic medals clean.
“I don’t think I ever competed in an even playing field or a clean field,” he said. “I have some speculations of some athletes that I competed against that I thought they were (doping). But that’s out of my control.”
British star Adam Peaty voiced his frustration after the British team finished fourth in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the Chinese team won
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He testified before the U.S. Congress in June about how athletes have lost faith in the World Anti-Doping Agency when it comes to preventing cheaters from competing.
“What has to happen is everybody has to come together and figure out one way to test everybody all over the world. Period,” he said in his recent statement. “And if you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again.”
“Go ahead and go to the cheater games. Keep the Olympics about integrity,” the 28-Olympic-medal winner said
As for people who want to evade the rules, he suggested, “Go ahead and go to the cheater games. Keep the Olympics about integrity.”You May LikeFather Beats Up Lifeguard After He Saved His Boy’s LifeLei RVHusband Defends “Incredible Mother” Who Shot Her Four Daughters And Then Herself: “Sick And Wrong"Lei RVWoman Gets Her Hands Bitten Off By Shark After Attempting To “Engage” With The Animal For A PhotoRenan Duarte
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