Chinese Swimmers Banned For Drugs -- August 7, 1998

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - FINA suspended four Chinese swimmers for two years after they tested positive for banned substances at the 1998 World Championships. The FINA doping panel, in a brief statement, said the suspensions went into effect immediately. A temporary suspension period, which ran from Jan. 14 until April 25, will be deducted from the two-year total. At the World Championships in Perth, Australia, the three Chinese women - Wang Luna , Cai Huijue and Yi Zhang - and male teammate Wei Wang tested positive for triamterene, a banned diuretic which can be used to mask the use of anabolic steroids. Charles Duan, a lawyer for the four said he would appeal to the International Olympic Committee's Court of Arbitration.