Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt to testify for the need of strict anti-doping measures ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt are set to testify before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee in Capitol Hill at 7:00 PM (Eastern Time) on June 25, 2024. In the public hearing titled "Examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics," Phelps and Schmitt will testify as they advocate for stringent anti-doping protocols for the Paris Games.

It is worth noting that the hearing is scheduled to take place after a New York Times report made headlines in April 2024. The report revealed that WADA and China did not publicly disclose the positive doping tests of Chinese swimmers discovered before the Tokyo Olympics. The news went on to create huge shockwaves in the swimming world.

A press release from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce announced the hearing on their website. In addition to the presence of Phelps and Schmitt, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, is also set to testify.

The report by the New York Times, which stunned the swimming community, disclosed that 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

In the report that the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) submitted to WADA after the positive tests, they explained that the swimmers got exposed to the banned substance while staying at a hotel for a domestic competition between the final days of 2020 and the initial days of 2021. The CHINADA also cited that traces of the banned heart drug were present in the hotel kitchen, which resulted in the substance being detected in the swimmers' samples.

After thoroughly reviewing the statement by CHINADA, WADA decided not to take action against the Chinese swimmers and allowed them to compete at the Games following consultations with scientists and external legal counsel.

Furthermore, the report released by the New York Times also featured a statement from Olivier Rabin, the WADA’s senior director of science and medicine.

“Ultimately, we concluded that there was no concrete basis to challenge the asserted contamination,” he said.

Notably, China won three gold, two silver, and one bronze medals in the swimming competition.

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A look at Michael Phelps and Alisson Schmitt’s achievements at the Olympics

Michael Phelps celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the Rio Olympic 2016. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Michael Phelps is renowned for being the most successful Olympian in the history of the Summer Olympics. Phelps collected 28 Olympic medals in total, including 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze, before retiring from competitive swimming. No other athlete has come close to Michael Phelps' record when it comes to Olympic gold medals.

Meanwhile, Allison Schmitt won a total of 10 medals, including 4 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals. She has participated in 4 editions of the quadrenniel event. During her maiden appearance back in 2008, she won a bronze medal in the 4x200-m freestyle relay. Then, in 2012, she won 5 medals in London. She achieved ten in total by winning two medals in each of the 2016 and 2020 editions.