Two Chinese Test Positive for Steroids, Are Suspended

By Phillip Whitten

MOSCOW, April 6. TWO of China's top swimmers have been suspended after testing positive for the steroid clenbuterol in a test conducted on January 31, according to a statement by FINA, swimming's international governing body.

Shan Ying and Zhou Jiawei have been temporarily suspended by the Chinese Swimming Association, the statement said, stating further that "the Chinese Swimming Association is now proceeding to a further investigation on these two cases in order to decide the sanctions according to FINA rules."

Under FINA rules, a positive test for steroids results in a four-year suspension from all competition.

Shan Ying, a 54-second 100 meter freestyler, was a double bronze medalist for China at the 1998 world championships in Perth at a time when China was embarrassed by two major doping scandals. She has also been a member of several Chinese record-setting relay teams.

In Perth in 1998, swimmer Yuan Yuan was found to have 13 vials of human growth hormone in her bag at Sydney airport on her way to the Perth championships. She was banned for four years and her coach for barred from coaching for 15 years. Then, in Perth, four Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned diuretic.

More Chinese swimmers have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs than swimmers from the rest of the world's nations combined.

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