Team USA star swimmer Katie Ledecky is one of the most decorated Olympians in history. In an exclusive interview on "CBS Sunday Morning," Ledecky revealed that her faith "in some of the systems is at an all-time low" after recent report revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned substances prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In April, the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance just seven months prior to the 2020 Olympics. Two of those swimmers actually competed against Ledecky in the Tokyo Games.
"It's hard going into Paris knowing that we're gonna be racing some of these athletes," Ledecky told "CBS Sunday Morning" in an interview that will air on June 2. "And I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low. You try not to think too much about when you're actually racing. And the best thing to do is to just go out there and try to win.
"It's tough when you have in the back of your head that it's not necessarily an even playing field."
Chinese officials stated that the swimmers ate contaminated food that contributed to the positive test. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency reportedly wasn't willing to impose an type of penalty for the positive drug tests.
"In this instance, it doesn't seem like everything was followed to a T. So, I'd like to see some accountability here," Ledecky said. "I'd like to see some answers as to why this happened the way it did. And I'd really like to see that steps are taken for the future so that we can regain some confidence in the global system."
"I mean, I think the whole case has to be re-examined independently and thoroughly and all the information needs to be out there."
Ledecky is slated to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26 and run through August 11. The Team USA swimmer has won seven gold medal and three silver medals in the London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo Olympics.
