Shortly before the U.S. team concluded one of its most successful swimming world championships in history, U.S. men’s team coach Dave Salo expressed surprise that China was not more competitive, saying the nation’s sluggish performance raised suspicions that it was keeping its best swimmers sequestered in China so they could avoid international drug testing.
With the Summer Games in Beijing three years away, Salo and other U.S. coaches expected the Chinese, who have been public about their desire to be the dominant country at the 2008 Olympics, to be much more of a factor in the medals race.