China's Ning fails to qualify for world title defense

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, June 28, 2017
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Chinese star Ning Zetao will not defend his 100-meter freestyle world title next month after failing to qualify for the Budapest showpiece next month, state media said yesterday.

Ning, a fan favorite after winning the world championship crown in 2015, clocked 49.67 seconds this week in his 100 free heat in a trial for the National Games, his first competitive race since last year's Olympics, Xinhua reported.

However the 24-year-old then quit the final, citing a waist injury. "Ning's result didn't beat the designated A cut time. He is not the top-ranked swimmer among those who meet the B cut, so he is not eligible to compete at the world championships," Xinhua quoted Zhao Jian, vice director of the Chinese Swimming Association, as saying.

Ning has a colorful past: he served a one-year suspension after testing positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol in 2011, and in February this year he was thrown out of the China team for "violating the rules". He bombed at last summer's Rio Olympics, failing to qualify for the 100 freestyle final.

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