Sun Yingjie suspended two years, coach in life ban (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-01-13 09:30
Chinese top distance runner Sun Yingjie has finally been handed two-year
suspension for doping and her coach Wang Dexian suffered a life ban on second
violation of antidoping rules.
The Chinese Athletics
Association (CAA) announced their decision on Thursday and the two were also
fined RMB 10,000 yuan each.
Sun, who tested positive in October at the National Games, will be banned
from October 20th, 2005 to October 19th, 2007.
But Wang did not escape from a life ban since he had been involved in the
1995 doping case of runner Zuo Qingmei, also coached by him. He also lost the
national head coach position with the ban.
Sun would have to take four tests during the two years to resume races on the
expiration of the ban, according to CAA. The 2003 world championships bronze
medallist would also face a life ban in case she failed or missed any test.
CAA spokesman Yang Lifeng told Xinhua that Sun and Wang's ban would not
affect the training of national distance running team as another coach Hu Rong
had temporarily taken charge.
He said that Olympic 10,000 meters champion Xing Huina, used to be coached by
Wang, would be training with Hu for the moment.
Sun, 27, became the highest-profile casualty of China`s anti-doping campaign
when she tested positive for the banned steroid androsterone last October.
She insisted that she was set up and won a court case in December against an
athlete she accused of spiking her drinks, causing her to fail the doping test.
But CAA upheld the ban citing that an athlete should be responsible for what he
or she drinks.
|