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By Alan Baldwin
PARIS (Reuters) - Seven-times Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel put World Aquatics bosses on the defensive on Thursday after expressing in front of them his lack of confidence in their handling of a Chinese doping case.
The U.S. swimmer was asked, at a press conference with president Husain Al-Musallam and executive director Brent Nowicki and other athletes, whether he was confident there would be a level playing field at the Paris Games.
"No. I don't. No. Not really," he replied. "I don't really think they've given us enough evidence to support them with how this case was handled."
While Dressel's viewpoint echoed that of other top competitors, the circumstances made uncomfortable listening.
Dressel, 27, won five golds at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, after two in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and is one of the most decorated swimmers in Paris.
The case erupted in April when the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned heart medication at a training camp in 2021 but still competed at the Tokyo Olympics that year.
An independent investigation this month ruled the World Anti-Doping agency WADA did not mishandle or show favouritism to China while a World Aquatics audit concluded there was no mismanagement or cover-up by the governing body.
"This entire team worked tirelessly...so when you hear someone like Caeleb say that, obviously it's not what you want any athlete to say," Nowicki told reporters after the athletes had departed the stage.
"We have to look forward, we have to regain his trust and those athletes's trust who show that same opinion.
"My goal and my hope is that his mind changes...so that you ask him that same question in four years and he says 'you know what? They did what they said they were going to do'."
Al-Musallam said World Aquatics did have confidence in the work that had been done.
"Here we make sure that every athlete that is coming to the Olympic Games has been tested...we are making sure and we will make sure that all the athletes who compete are clean," he said.
No Chinese athletes attended the press conference, with a selection of aquatic sports represented.
Asked whether any had been invited, Al-Musallam said the selection was based on availability.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
