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)