China has found eight positive cases ahead of Olympics
2/7/2008 16:25
China played tough hand in cracking down on drug cheats with more frequent
no-notice tests and severe punishments ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games in a
bid to ensure a clean team.
Eight positive cases have been found with
cheating athletes and concerned coaches and punished until June 20 after over
5,000 tests were carried out, Zhao Jian, deputy director general of the China
Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) told Xinhua today.
In the most recent case, a
wrestling player was found using diuretic, which brought life-time bans to him
and his coach.
Chinese men's top backstroker Ouyang Kunpeng, the most famous
among the eight violators, namely two from diving, two from athletics, two from
swimming, one from weightlifing and one from wrestling, also received a
life-time ban after tested positive for clenbuterol, an anabolic steroid, and
his coach Feng Shangbao was banned for life too.
"This proves that our
anti-doping system is working well. We will catch those who dare to cheat," said
Zhao in the newly-finished CHINADA building which includes a world-level
laboratory serving the Olympic Games.
Head of the Chinese Olympic Committee
Anti-Doping Commission Yuang Hong agreed.
"Finding drug cheats is not an
embarrassment to us. On the contrary, it says what a firm stance we take in the
fight against doping," she said.
"Ouyang's ban proves nothing but our
determination to weed out dope cheats among Chinese athletes. No matter how
excellent an athletes is, he or she will be severely punished once tested
positive," said Yuan who is on a nationwide inspection to tighten management of
performance-enhancing drug suppliers and manufacturers ahead of the
Olympics.
The inspection, conducted by eight government departments, would
specially focus on Olympic host cities and regions with a concentrated chemical
industry.
"It's a wake-up call to those who attempt to cheat," she
said.
However, Chinese anti-doping workers admitted that doping can't be
eliminated overnight.
"These positive cases also prove that the fight against
doping is a long, hard task because there are always some people believing they
can get away," he said.
Zhao said until June 20 CHINADA had carried out 5236
of the planned 9500 tests, supported by the central government fund.
"Over 80
percent of the tests were no-notice out-of-competition tests, and most of them
fell on athletes preparing for the Olympics," he said.
"They could take as
many as 15 tests in the past six months," he said, adding that Olympic and world
110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang had taken six to seven out-of-competition tests
besides the ones he had at international events.
"The number of tests will
probably exceed what was planned," he said.
The Beijing Olympic Games will
kick start on August 8 through to 24.
Xinhua
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