He said: “I think the overwhelming majority of competitors in that pool have no part to play in doping practices."

"There will always be poverty, there will always be unwanted pregnancy, there will always be exploitation, but in our society and in our communities, we seek to bring those levels down to a level which cannot be further reduced."

“That’s what we are trying to do in anti-doping activities.”

One of the most effective weapons at Pipe's disposal for the past two years has been the biological passport. Swimmers are tested regularly in and out of competition - sometimes at short notice, sometimes with no notice - to determine the natural features of their blood.

Pipe explained: "We can test an athlete in two months’ time and then compare that with the initial test. We could then take another test six weeks later, before competition and we can identify then if suddenly something goes up.”

Pipe thought swimming “less likely” to have doping issues than some other sports but warned against the danger of complacency.

He said: "I believe we cannot be naive about this. That's why FINA has a doping control review board, because it wants to exercise best practice in terms of trying to address this issue.”

Every athlete who breaks a world record, must be tested before the result can be validated.

This is in addition to other 'random' doping control tests on athletes. In total, Pipe expected 150-200 athletes to undergo testing in Doha.

On the first day of the championships a German TV station aired a documentary alleging widespread and systematic doping and cover-ups in Russian athletics mainly but also other sports.

Pipe said he was aware of the documentary but had not yet watched it.

Explaining swimming's targeted testing system, he said: “We respond to intelligence derived from all sources, including in the media."

"There is a special look at athletes who we are concerned about as a consequence of intelligence we are provided with... which may indicate that certain countries or certain groups of athletes perhaps have been involved in issues that require our further attention."