China Cracks Down on Drug Cheats

China has found eight positive cases ahead of Olympics

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-02 13:22:28

by Sportswriter Ma Xiangfei

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) --

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 having been 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 on Wednesday.

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 weightlifting and one from wrestling, also received a life-time ban after tested positive forclenbuterol, 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 Aug. 8 through to 24.

China goes aggressive on doping as Olympics draw near

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-02 13:50:21

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) --

"Is that all? Show me recipes for a whole month."

Dissatisfied by a thin pad of prescriptions offered by an employee at a west Beijing chemist's, Wang Zhexiong demanded more to check whether rules were being followed in the selling of medicine containing performance-enhancing substances.

The call of Wang, deputy head of drug safety with China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), is part of China's more aggressive anti-doping efforts ahead of the Olympics.

In the latest move senior officials, including Wang, from the central government were sent to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and 12 provincial areas for anti-doping inspections. The 12-day campaign is to last till July 7.

The inspectors were dispatched by seven ministry-level government agencies, including drug safety, health and public security watchdogs, and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).

Every link, from drug producers and chemical plants to medicine wholesalers and retailers, would be checked through spot checks, both announced and covert.

"We must ensure nothing goes wrong with any of these links, especially over the counters," said Wang. "So that as few chances as possible are left for doping drug misuse, unintentional or intentional, by athletes."

Editor: Wang Hongjiang

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