Weightlifter Zeng Ying has tested positive for a banned steroid and faces a two-year suspension, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) announced on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the anti-doping commission of the COC, Zeng, 19, failed an out-of-competition doping test on April 21.

Zeng did only one A sample test.

But Zeng has claimed that she never used such a banned substance.

"I have never heard of it let alone used it," she said.

Zeng added that she had no choice but to forgo the B sample test due to a shortage of funds.

"The second test would have cost me 5,000 yuan (about US$625), and I can't afford it, "Zeng said.

"Besides, I heard that the results of A and B sample tests are always the same, so there is no point in asking for a second test."

Zeng won the silver in the women's 58kg total at the 2005 World University Weightlifting Championship. She finished seventh in the jerk and lift at the National Weightlifting Championships in April but failed all three attempts in the snatch event.

Zeng, formerly a weightlifter for Hunan Province, moved to the Beijing team in February. She also denied having taken any banned substances while training with the Hunan team.

Yu Jinglong, who was appointed coach of the Beijing team in January, has been suspended following the test result and faces a one-year ban.

But Yu, who started to coach Zeng only two months ago, also protested his innocence, saying that they might have been sabotaged. "I became coach of the Beijing team only four months ago, so it is unlikely that I would have encouraged Zeng to take the steroid, which would end her career as well as mine," he said.

The COC anti-doping commission said that the test result will be sent to the Chinese Weightlifting Association, which will then mete out punishments to Zeng and Yu as well as any others involved.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2006)