Stars

Tong Wen back to action after being cleared of doping

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-26 17:12

TIANJIN - Chinese Olympic judo champion Tong Wen, cleared of doping offence, has embarked her journey for a series of London Olympic Games qualifying events, local newspaper reported on Thursday.

Tong, who aims at defending her +78 kilograms category title in London next year, will compete in the first qualification on Saturday in Moscow.

Related readings:  Olympic judo champion Tong wins doping ban appeal  Winning ban appeal puts Tong back on mat, says coach  Coach: Tong's doping offence is honest mistake  Olympic judo champ Tong Wen banned for doping

Tong's coach said the 28-year-old judoka still needs time to regain her best form.

"The confident Tong came back a little bit yesterday. Since she has been away from the court for such a long time, it is normal that she felt nervous," Wu Weifeng was quoted by the Tianjin Daily as saying.

Tong successfully had her two-year ban for a positive clenbuterol test overturned in February and was reinstated as world champion.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the suspension imposed by the International Judo Federation, citing a "procedural failure" in the laboratory tests.

Tong tested positive for the fat-burning drug at the 2009 world championships in Rotterdam, where she won the +78kg category title.

The governing body ordered tests on her backup "B" sample - which also showed clenbuterol traces - without telling her or giving her the chance to attend the tests at the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Cologne, Germany.