China has announced its squad for the upcoming Paris Olympics, including 11 swimmers previously implicated in a doping scandal. In April, it was revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) before the 2021 Tokyo Games. This drug can boost athletic performance.

Despite the positive tests, the swimmers faced no penalties after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted China's explanation of food contamination as the cause. Several of these athletes went on to win medals in Tokyo, including gold.

On Tuesday, China revealed its swimming team for Paris, listing 11 of the 23 athletes who tested positive for TMZ. Notable names include butterfly champion Zhang Yufei, who secured two golds in Tokyo, and Wang Shun, another gold medallist. Rising star Qin Haiyang, also implicated in the April reports, will compete in Paris.

The decision by WADA not to sanction the swimmers has sparked significant controversy, especially from the United States. Travis Tygart, head of the US national anti-doping agency, has labeled the situation as a "potential cover-up," a claim denied by both WADA and China.

In response to the backlash, WADA announced plans to send a compliance audit team to China to evaluate the country's current anti-doping program. China has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the investigation.