Grave beyond a splash in the Olympic pool

Most grievous of all, the insinuations of doping leave the hectoring on rule of law empty.

Testing for performance-enhancing substances has never been more vigorous and rigorous. For athletes thinking of cheating, the drugs have to be administered over a long time for their effectiveness to be anywhere near worth taking the risk.

In the case of 16-year-old Shiwen, her state-sponsored programme — as is those of so many of the other elite swimmers — requiring blocks of training with coaches in Australia would make it next to impossible for her to elude detection if she had been on dope.

The International Olympic Committee is satisfied. Media has frothed over remarks of John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association — also executive director of the American Swimming Coaches Association — who apparently does not see it incumbent on him to look beyond the superficiality of swimming’s day-to-day.

Quite the contrary to China’s former Olympics doctor Chen Zhanghao. “America’s (Michael) Phelps broke seven world records. Is he normal?” Chen asks. “I suspect Phelps, but without evidence I have to recognise that we should be grounded in facts.”

In other words, the rule of law.

Public figures have to be sensitive beyond their narrow interests. John Leonard has failed swimming, and the international community.