The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is not ready to bury the case of the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021. Meeting Thursday, April 25 in virtual mode, its executive committee decided unanimously of its members to appoint a independent prosecutor to review the case. His name: Eric Cottier. Presented as “ entirely independent of WADA, the sporting movement and governments”, the former Swiss magistrate was prosecutor general of the canton of Vaud, between September 2005 and his retirement in December 2022. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, extraordinary prosecutor at the federal level in Switzerland , and member of a working group at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). Alongside this appointment, WADA will launch “ shortly " a compliance audit in China, with the objective of assessing “the current state of its anti-doping program”. Witold Banka, the president of the agency, repeats this in a press release : « WADA's integrity and reputation are under attack. We continue to reject the false accusations and are pleased to be able to entrust these matters to an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”
