The GAS introduced the ruling in February, which has seen swimmers, track and field athletes, table tennis players, fencers and chess players undergoing tests on physical abilities unrelated to their sport.

It is understood swimmers took part in vertical jumps, 30 metre sprints, pull-ups, trunk muscle strength training and 3,000 runs across two days of physical tests.

Domestic media also reported chess players were challenged to run 1,000m and Su Bingtian – China's 100m record holder – was tested over 3,000m.

The contentious testing method then came under scrutiny at the Chinese National Swimming Championships – which ran from September 26 to October 2 in Qingdao – when race winners missed out places in the final as swimmers instead progressed based on the results of the pre-tournament tests.

Out of the top 16 finishers in each event, only the eight that scored highest on their physical tests could advance to the next stage.

Wang Jianjiahe broke an Asian record in the women's 1,500m freestyle and Yu Hexin set a new national record in the men's 50m freestyle, but both were excluded from the finals causing outrage of social media.

In a report by China Sports News, Zhou Jihong, chairman of the Chinese Swimming Association, suggested the system was here to stay.

But Li Jianming, deputy director of GAS, said the physical tests would not be a factor in determining who goes to next year's Olympic Games, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

"This is not a fundamental change to the competition rules of the event, nor will it affect the selection of high-level athletes for the Olympic Games and international competitions," said Li.

According to GAS's ruling, physical fitness is an "important foundation for athletes' competitive ability" and helps to "forge the excellent style of tenacious struggle and never give up".

Li said elite level athletes lacking basic fitness was a "relatively common phenomenon and strengthening basic physical fitness has become a consensus within and outside the sports world".

But the former water polo player claimed the policy was not permanent.

"It is just a temporary measure to force athletes to pay attention to strengthening basic physical training," he added.

"Of course, this measure needs to be more scientific."