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STORY: Twenty-three Chinese Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned drug before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

That's according to the World Anti-Doping Agency - or WADA on Saturday (April 20).

However, it has accepted China's findings that this was due to substance contamination.

Multiple media reports said the swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, or, TMZ, found in heart medication, months before the COVID-delayed July 2021 games began.

WADA said in a statement that it was notified on June 2021 of China's-anti doping agency's decision "to accept that the swimmers had tested positive" after inadvertently being exposed to the drug through contamination.

The statement added it "ultimately concluded that it was not in a position to disprove the possibility that contamination was the source of TMZ'' and ''the athletes would be held to have no fault or negligence.''

Based on external counsel advice an appeal of the Chinese decision was not warranted.

China's 30-member swimming team won six medals at the Tokyo Games, including three golds.

World Aquatics said it was confident the positive tests were handled "diligently and professionally."

Athletes who fail doping tests are usually subject to bans of two to four years for a first offence and life for a second.

Tightened scrutiny could now be placed on China before this years Paris Olympics, where the Asian country is expected to contend for more medals.

Multiple Chinese swimmers have been banned in the last 30 years for being involved in doping cases.

China's anti-doping agency, and the Chinese Swimming Association did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.