Once the positive results by the World Aquatics Anti-Doping Audit Review Committee’s investigation came in (the second of its kind after Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier also exonerated WADA last week) the global policing body issued its own statement on Tuesday through a spokesperson. "Following the positive findings of an independent prosecutor's review of WADA's handling of these cases, this is a further report detailing how the correct procedures were followed under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code," the statement said.

The reaction was not unexpected yet the timeline was a bit disconcerting as on Monday World Aquatics announced its intention to increase the number of anti-doping tests that Chinese athletes competing at the upcoming Summer Olympics will be subject to. The Asian country was at the centre of the scandal that broke out in April, when The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that 23 of its swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine in late 2020 and early 2021 yet were still allowed to compete and win medals in the Tokyo 2020 Games. Uproar ensued, with a war of words between WADA and other anti-doping bodies, mainly the United States Anti-Doping agency erupting and legal procedures of various sorts apparently looming.

While the US Department of Justice summoned the executive director of World Aquatics, Brent Nowicki, to testify in the case earlier this month, Cottier’s report stated that WADA’s chances of successful appeal to the Cout of Arbitration for Sport were relatively low and indicated that financial restraints were a contributing factor for not appealing the case by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency. His review argued that "there is nothing in the file to suggest that WADA showed favouritism or deference, or in any way favoured the 23 swimmers who tested positive for TMZ" while WADA itself complained that it had yet to receive any contact or request from US law enforcement after Nowicki’s subpoena.

Back to Paris, blowback from the probe seems to have sparked a fire under the Olympic testing unit. "A certain number of athletes from specific nations will be tested four times by the International Testing Agency (in addition to their own NADO testing) between 1 January 2024 and the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024," the report from the Anti-Doping Audit Review Committee of World Aquatics outlined. "A certain number of other athletes, including Chinese athletes taking part in the Paris Olympic Games, will be tested by the ITA no less than 8 times during this same period. The ITA will use its best efforts to have all such tests of Chinese athletes conducted by a Sample Collection Authority other than CHINADA, and to have the samples analysed by laboratories outside of China."

Despite these efforts, World Aquatics has not avoided criticism in the dispute between WADA and national governing bodies, anti-doping agencies and current and former athletes, who have joined in expressing their discomfort over the handling of the positive tests, some even doing so in US Congressional hearings.

The original treatment of the incident and subsequent steps to repair the public relations damage has left many in the sporting landscape disappointed at WADA’s leadership, but not World Aquatics, per its recent report. "The Committee has not identified any irregularities, mismanagement or cover‐up by FINA (now known as World Aquatics) in its review of the TMZ Case or in its decision not to appeal the CHINADA decisions in that case," it said. "The process and procedure followed by FINA in 2021 was in accordance with both the operating procedures of FINA at that time, generally accepted operating procedures of other International Federations, and its obligations under the World Anti‐Doping Code."

The push for clarity has been constant since The New York Times revealed the positive tests, as has the pushback from WADA and Chinese anti-doping officials who have called the reporting “politically-biased and sensationalist”. The Asian country also went on to select 11 suspect swimmers to participate in the upcoming Olympics a few weeks ago, a decision that worsened the matter, leading up to the US Congressional hearing where swimming icons like Michael Phelps called out the global policing body and politicians demanded answers from the agency supposed to supervise the cheaters.

As for World Aquatics, WADA was thrilled by the report just 10 days begore the Paris Games are set to start, saying it was "pleased that another review has found no evidence of wrongdoing by the international anti-doping authorities as it relates to these cases” and vowed to take its findings into account. "As always, we will look carefully at the Committee's recommendations for how the applicable rules can be further strengthened and we will consider them as part of the ongoing Code and International Standards update."

Harsh global pushback is expected to ensue once more, especially from US-based groups that previously found that Cottier’s report catered to WADA and did not provide sufficient evidence to clear the agency as it failed to transparently share any information and documentation coming from CHINADA. “This lack of transparency is extremely disconcerting amid the widespread distrust in WADA and the global anti-doping system,” FairSport and Global Athlete said in a joint statement last week.