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Continued from Part 2, tensions rise through August 1… 10) Mr. Pan Zhanle wins the 100m men’s freestyle in Paris with a record time of 46.4 seconds, a full second ahead of second place. Some celebrate, others doubt and point to the full-second win as proof of doping. China comes out and blames Australia for contaminated beef in the 2022 testing incident and the New York Times for creating a scandal. 11) The issue of lack of transparency does seem to be at the crux of all this. An American athlete, Erriyon Knighton, a sprinter, had a similar contamination incident, was temporarily suspended and ultimately cleared, with the main difference being that his case was all handled openly and publicly (Reuters), in contrast to the issues with China’s swimmers over the past three years. So, the main question cannot be ignored: if the IOC, WADA, and CHINADA were confident in the evidence that led to their conclusions, why the secrecy? OR…if there was in fact no big effort at secrecy, perhaps there are many contamination cases like these that never come to light, and this really is a bruhaha manufactured by the New York Times and the US Congress at the behest of a group of Western teams afraid of losing to China, where is the evidence for that? OR…is there a third explanation? The 2024 Paris Olympic swimming competitions run until August 4, so there are still a few more days. However, the damage is done. Whatever else happens—good or bad—the whole thing will be tainted forever by the scandal. A Sport’s Illustrated headline from today reads, “China’s Olympic Swimming Success Deserves All of Your Doubts.” In sum, it seems convincing that there are issues with WADA; it seems likely that the Chinese swim team is doping, perhaps without their athletes even knowing; the US either bushwhacked the Paris games with the issue or raised it earlier and it was ignored. Whatever the truth is, shame on the leadership of the Chinese team. If they are doping, then they are guilty. If they are not doping, then by not being completely open and transparent in their processes, they made their athletes defenseless to the PR onslaught. It’s a failure of leadership! Rest assured that there are some very noble athletes competing for China. Mr. Wang Chuqin, China’s famous and amazing ping pong player, lost his bid for gold when his favorite, lucky paddle was accidentally damaged by press photographers, and he had to use his back up paddle. It showed in his performance. He could have blamed his loss on the paddle, but he did not. In true Olympic spirit, he basically said “I made mistakes, and the other guy played better” (SCMP). --- China Peace Initiative (CPI) was created to explain and educate, toward understanding, hoping for peace. CPI's mission is to seek the evolution of China into a vibrant and prosperous nation where all have liberty to pursue wisdom and faith, and which chooses the path of peace. www.cpi-heping.org

A potentially explosive doping scandal is once again rocking Olympic swimming after revelations that 23 Chinese swimmers, including 3 gold medalists and world record-setters, tested positive for a banned substance in 2021. They were never punished and allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Even after an apparent email exchange between a Chinese anti-doping official and a top world swimming official hinted at wrongdoing, yet no measures were taken. Repeated intelligence reports indicating a cover-up and doping by Chinese swimmers, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chose not to hold the athletes accountable. The USADA CEO, Travis Tygart, called the findings "crushing" and "devastating," stating that clean athletes "have been deeply and painfully betrayed by the system." But is justice about to strike, with a law enacted in 2020 empowering the US Justice Department to prosecute doping-related corruption in international sports events, American authorities now possess a potent tool via the FBI. And per reports here, the United States Anti-Doping Agency has criticised WADA for failing in its mission with the FBI uncovering positive tests. I'm guessing now we see officials from all sides running like Usain Bolt taking cover. Ken Lee Greg Jenkins Kirk Marks Kieren Perkins OAM USA Swimming Swimming Australia #antidoping #integrityinsport #olympics #swimming https://lnkd.in/gNRpDx8m

World Aquatics allows Russia’s participation in Bosnia and Herzegovina under national flag "The only Russian athletes who will be able to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games are those who are registered as Individual Neutral Athletes," the statement reads MOSCOW/ The world’s governing body of swimming sports, World Aquatics, will allow Russian athletes to take part in the upcoming international competition next month in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the organization’s press office announced to TASS in a statement on Friday. The competition is slated to be held in the city of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina in late April. Vladimir Salnikov, the president of the Russian Swimming Federation (RSF), said earlier that there would be no restrictions on Russia’s national swimmers at the event and they would be allowed to compete under the country's national flag and colors. "This competition is not organized by World Aquatics," the statement reads. "The only Russian athletes who will be able to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games are those who are registered as Individual Neutral Athletes." "Any Individual Neutral Athletes who compete at this event, or other events, would be able to set a qualifying time for Paris," the statement added. The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11. In March 2023, World Aquatics (FINA until December 2022) ruled to bar Russia and Belarus from any future FINA-sanctioned international swimming events. Prior to the World Aquatics ruling in March 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations on February 28, 2022, to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments. #business #finance #financialservices

China Surpasses US in Olympic Gold Medals at Paris 2024 Despite the US dominating in terms of athlete numbers and tourist presence, China has taken the lead in gold medals at the 2024 Paris Games. With 39 golds to America's 38, China's focus on diving, table tennis, weightlifting, shooting, and badminton has paid off. China's diving team swept all available gold medals, contributing to their overall lead. Additionally, China made breakthroughs in traditionally US-dominated sports like swimming, with two gold medals, including a historic win in the 4x100-meter medley relay. Chinese athletes also excelled in tennis, artistic swimming, and newer Olympic sports like sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing, and breaking. However, China's swimming success has been marred by controversy surrounding 23 swimmers who tested positive for banned substances in 2021 but were still allowed to compete. China has denied allegations of doping, attributing the positive tests to contaminated food. The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of anti-doping measures and the integrity of competition at the Games. #chinaolympic #chinaattheolympic #goldmedalcount #trending #olympicgoldmedalcount #olympic2024

1. As the 2024 Paris 🇫🇷 Olympics approach, predictions about which country will win the most gold medals 🥇🥇🥇are buzzing with excitement. Analysts widely expect the United States 🇺🇸 to top the gold medal tally, continuing their strong performance from previous Olympics. The U.S. is projected to win around 123 medals 🥇🥈🥉 in total, including numerous golds across various sports disciplines. This forecast 📊 is supported by comprehensive analyses from sports data experts like Gracenote, which predict the U.S. will continue to dominate in key sports such as athletics 🏃♂️ , swimming 🏊♂️ , and gymnastics 🤸. 2. China 🇨🇳 is anticipated to be a close contender, securing the second-most medals. They are projected to win around 89 medals 🥇🥈🥉, just a few golds behind the United States. China’s strength lies in sports like diving 🤿, table tennis 🏓 , and weightlifting 🏋️♂️ , where their athletes have consistently excelled on the international stage. 3. Host nation France 🇫🇷 is expected to benefit from the home advantage, aiming for their best performance in a century 💯 . Predictions suggest France 🇫🇷 will significantly boost their medal count 🥇🥈🥉, especially in events like judo 🥋, fencing 🤺 , and handball 🤾 , potentially placing them third in the gold medal tally. 4. Australia 🇦🇺 , Great Britain 🇬🇧 , and Japan 🇯🇵 are also expected to perform well, with Australia 🇦🇺 looking to its swimming 🏊♂️ team for a significant portion of its medal haul. Great Britain 🇬🇧 and Japan 🇯🇵 are forecasted to maintain their strong presence across multiple sports, contributing to their high medal counts 🥇🥈🥉. #Paris2024 #Olympics #GoldMedals #TeamUSA #China #France #SportsPredictions #Athletics

🏅 🏆 With the Paris 2024 #Olympics drawing closer, YouGov has analyzed data from Global Fan Profiles to see which sports viewers are most likely to follow once the games begin. In the US, swimming is most popular, with 23% of Americans saying that they watch or follow the sport. 👉 Discover which other #Summer Olympics #sports #Americans are likely to watch: https://lnkd.in/e2fgH3hA 

🏅 The Olympic Games Paris 2024 are just around the corner, and YouGov's latest analysis reveals fascinating insights into how fans plan to follow the games and their favorite sports. 📊 Based on data from Global Fan Profiles, we dive into the top sports enthusiasts will be tuning into starting July 26. In North America, swimming leads the pack, with 23% of Americans and 24% of Canadians following the sport. Artistic gymnastics and water-based sports like diving also rank high. The US favors basketball, while Canada leans towards hockey. In South America, soccer reigns supreme, especially in Brazil (37%) and Argentina (29%). Discover the full breakdown of the top five sports in major North and South American markets in our detailed analysis. 📈🌍 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g656iFbS #Olympics #Paris2024 #SportsAnalytics #GlobalFanProfiles #YouGov

With 42 Olympic champions leading its delegation, China is set to embark on its most ambitious Olympic outing abroad at the upcoming Paris Games. Among the 236 disciplines in which it will compete, Chinese athletes are expected to win multiple golds in traditional sports, particularly athletics, swimming, gymnastics, diving, shooting, boxing, and weightlifting. Yet this year, the game is changing. With the recent introduction of skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing in the last Olympics, and now breakdancing — sports scarcely older in China than the country’s Olympians who will be competing in them in Paris — new disciplines are set to test the boundaries of tradition and talent. With limited experience in these sports, how has China adapted to prepare these young athletes for the biggest sporting stage of all? Read more: https://ow.ly/NSaj50SCWXs

So, very memorable Olympics 2024 are over. A lot has been said re Germanys result in the medal table. But little about the dominance of the US or China. Or in which disciplines other countries that are ahead of Germany in the medal table have won their medals. A look at data helps: ·       A total of 329 gold medals was awarded. Of these, 212 / 65% are awarded in the top 11 competitions, whereby each of these competitions had 10 medals or more. Athletics led the way with 48 medals, followed by swimming with 35. So any nation that is particularly good in these disciplines has a good chance of being at the top of the medal table. ·       The 𝐔𝐒won 25 of its 40 gold medals in its top 3 disciplines: 14 in athletics, 8 in swimming and 3 in gymnastics. Plus, of course, the obligatory 2 golds in basketball. ·       For 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, on the other hand, the picture is different: China dominates in some of the "smaller" sports: China has won all (!) gold medals in diving (8), table tennis (5) and artistic swimming (2) as well as 50% of the medals in weightlifting (5) and 33% (5) in shooting. ·       𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 also have their showpiece disciplines: South Korea has won all 5 medals in archery, the Netherlands both medals in field hockey, Germany 4 gold medals (67%) in equestrian, Uzbekistan 5 medals (38%) in boxing and Japan has won 8 times in wrestling (44%). 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐭? 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟: ·       Focus on a smaller number of tentpole disciplines rather than supporting a broad range of different sports? ·       The current allocation of medals is asymmetric: public sports like football or tennis only give very little medals vs sports perceived as "niche" have 15 medals or more (18 in wrestling and 15 in shooting) ·       Competitions where individuals provide many more medals vs. team sport events like soccer, basketball, volleyball, hockey etc. Are team events underrepresented in the medal table? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞? #beautyofdata #data #visualization #olympics #goldmedals #goldmedaille

Chinese posts falsely claim US Olympic swimmer 'skipped' anti-doping tests The international swimming federation World Aquatics said US swimmer Gretchen Walsh was subject to nine anti-doping tests the year before the Paris Olympics, contrary to Chinese social media posts that falsely claimed she skipped the tests altogether. The posts circulated after World Aquatics carried out its most rigorous drug testing programme ever in the lead-up to the Paris Games, with Chinese swimmers targeted. https://lnkd.in/dzdf6RtG The Anti-Doping Database is a Database of sanctioned athletes that now contains more than 13.000 items. The database is being used by sports journalists, sports lawyers, students, national anti-doping agencies and sports federations around the world. We have been dedicated to clean sport and transparency since 2005, and we are one of the most trusted sources of anti-doping statistics. You find the Anti-Doping Database at https://lnkd.in/g33HxFSC #doping #cleansport #antidoping #datajournalism #sportlaw