China Vows to Stamp out Doping in Swimming

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 28, 2002

China Vows to Stamp out Doping in Swimming

China vowed to continuously tackle doping and reframe China's swimming in the world, a high official of the Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) said Tuesday in Anshan.

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China vowed to continuously tackle doping and reframe China's swimming in the world, a high official of the Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) said Tuesday in Anshan.

Speaking on the eve of the 2002 National Spring Swimming Championships, Li Hua, chairman of the CSA, said: "We have experienced a recovering year of 2001 and made some brilliant results at the world events. But we need to always have anti- doping in mind and stamp out the problem."

According to Li, about 900 urine tests were conducted last year by CSA and FINA. Among them, 529 were outside of compeitions and only three were found positive. Some 110 blood tests were also conducted.

"It was a year to produce the strongest blow to the use of performance enhancing drugs in swimming in China. It showed our resolve to crack down the doping issue," Li said.

China won two golds, two silvers and three bronzes at the Fukuoka World Championships, 12-13-14 at the East Asian Games and 4-3-5 at the World Universiade Games. Qi Hui shattered the women's 200 meters breaststroke world record and Luo Xuejuan, Chen Hua and Li Hui improved the world short course records last year.

At the Moscow World Short Course Championships held earilier this month, Chinese swimmers brought home 3 golds, 4 silvers and 5 bronzes, all by women swimmers.

"We can say that we have showed our true strength at those international events," he said.

Between March 20 and 28, FINA and World Anti Doping Agency conducted 45 doping tests to the 23-member Chinese national team, including 29 urine and 16 blood tests.

The Chinese Doping Control Laboratory also conducted 40 tests to the national team swimmers and 12 to provincial teams during that period of time and none was returned positive.

"Some swimmers had to had 2 blood and 2 urine samples in one day and some were given up to 6 tests in one week, like world champions Luo Xuejuan and Qi Hui," Li said.

Early this month, FINA confirmed that two Chinese swimmers were tested positive during tests taken in January by CSA, Li revealed.

More than 300 swimmers will compete in the Chinese Spring Swimming Champoinships to be opened tomorrow. Fourty events will be contested during the four-day annual meet.

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