The committee found no evidence of "irregularity, mismanagement or cover‐up," but rather that the process followed, and the decisions made by World Aquatics in 2021 (then known as FINA), which were identical to those made by WADA, were in accordance with the rules. 

WADA takes note of the recommendations made by the committee, which includes a prominent arbitrator from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and looks forward to evaluating them as part of the Agency's ongoing update process for the next iteration of the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards. 

A WADA spokesperson said, "Following the positive findings of an independent prosecutor's (Eric Cottier) 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." 

WADA is pleased that yet another review has found no evidence of wrongdoing by the International Anti-Doping authorities in these cases. The Agency will carefully consider the Committee's recommendations on how to further strengthen the applicable rules and we will consider them as part of the ongoing update of the Code and International Standards. 

The case came to light in mid-April when the WADA confirmed in a statement that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine (TMZ) at the Long Course Invitational in Shijiazhuang City from 31 December 2020 to 3 January 2021. The agency also hit back at what it called "misleading and potentially defamatory media coverage" in response to media reports that it had dismissed the positive results. 

WADA said the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) informed it in June 2021 of its decision to accept that the swimmers had tested positive "after being inadvertently exposed to the substance through contamination". WADA said it then spent weeks reviewing CHINADA's decision and the contamination theory. 

Established in 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency is an international, independent agency, made-up and funded by the sports movement and the world's governments. As the global regulatory body, its primary role is to develop, harmonise and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.