China cracks down on doping

China banned eight athletes who tested positive for doping as it intensifies efforts to ensure a clean and drug-free Olympic Games in August. Authorities are carrying out more frequent no-notice tests and giving more severe punishments to cheaters, state media said.

Zhao Jian, deputy director general of the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA), told Xinhua that those who tested positive as well as their coaches have been punished. Two of those banned, wrestler Luo Meng and swimmer Ouyang Peng, were from the Chinese national team.

“Finding drug cheats is not an embarrassment to us. On the contrary, it says what a firm stance we take in the fight against drugs,” Yuang Hong, head of the Chinese Olympic Anti-Doping Commission, said.

Zhao said that CHINADA had conducted 5,236 of the planned 9,500 tests supported by a 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.”