PARIS (AP) — Katie Ledecky is hoping for clean races at the Olympics. Hope was just about as far as she was willing to go on Wednesday.
The U.S. swimming star is looking to add to her six individual gold medals when she races in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her schedule begins with the loaded 400 on Saturday, which also includes Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
The 27-year-old Ledecky is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but it’s the first one since a doping scandal involving nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Games — and were allowed to compete with no ramifications. The controversy has raised major concerns about the seriousness of anti-doping efforts.
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky said. “But what really matters also is: Were they training clean? Hopefully, that’s been the case. Hopefully, there’s been even testing around the world.”
There is an ongoing U.S. investigation of the suspected doping by the Chinese swimmers — drawing the ire of the International Olympic Committee. While awarding the 2034 Winter OIympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC pushed Utah officials to do what they can to stop the FBI probe.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Ledecky said. “They want transparency. They want further answers to the questions that still remain. At this point, we’re here to race. We’re going to race whoever’s in the lanes next to us.
“We’re not the ones paid to do the testing, so we hope that the people that are follow their own rules. That applies now and into the future.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games