Olympic swimmer McLaughlin contrasts heartbreaking team losses with knowing Chinese doping test–positive swimming could have been prevented

Former Olympic Swimmer Katie McLaughlin says in opening testimony at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy hearing about lacking international response to Chinese doping in Olympic swimming that in 2016 she hoped to make first Olympic team but five months before trials fractured vertebrae in neck, tried to come back in time but did not make team in devastating outcome that lit fire and made her know she would return, which she did in 2021 when she finally made Olympic team and won silver medal in four-by-200 relay as absolute dream with teammates leaving everything in pool, believing in doing it right way and being proud of hard work that earned medal for USA, explaining that 2016 personal heartbreak was out of her control as complete accident that inspired her return, but 2021 learning about Chinese swimmers scandal that could have been prevented had correct rules been applied carried different sting.