Zhang Feels Cold Shoulder Of Rivals Who Doubt China Is Playing Fair
"At this Olympics, I’m really worried that my good friends will look at me differently," says Zhang Yufei in the eye of global anti-doping schism cause by the China-23-go-free saga
Zhang Yufei, one of the 23 Chinese who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 but was cleared of wrongdoing by anti-doping bosses, admitted that she had felt the cold shoulder of her international competitors in Paris this past week.
The positives were declared "no fault" cases by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and the case file stamped confidential; on the eve of the Tokyo Olympic Games, where Zhang claimed two gold and two silver medals.
Read more on that saga in our China Diaries section and watch the ARD's explainer:
After leading the 100m butterfly heats at the Paris La Defence Arena this morning, she told media in the mixed zone that she was concerned that she is now seen as a cheat. Zhang, however, insists she is innocent.
