Among those dropped were six of the seven members of "Ma's Family Army,'' a group of women long-distance runners coached by Ma Junren.

The six were originally named in a 311-strong squad to go to Sydney. Ma Junren has also been axed from the team.

Only 284 athletes will now go to the Sydney Olympics, which start on September 15.

The new list of team members issued by Xinhua News Agency showed that all but one of Ma's medal hopes would stay at home.

The only survivor is Li Ji, one of only 20 women in a track and field team from which 14 athletes have been dropped.

He Huixian, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), said in Beijing Wednesday that leaving the athletes who had "suspicious blood tests'' out of the Olympic team showed China's determination to fight doping.

"Since 1998, China has introduced out-of-competition blood tests for athletes and kept up efforts to combat doping,'' she said.

International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch said yesterday he welcomed the news that some Chinese athletes had been cut from the Olympic Games team after tests.

"I am not disappointed,'' he said.

"I am very pleased, very happy. That's very good news.''

Samaranch said he believed it meant the new system of dope testing was working well.

China did not name all the athletes cut from the squad, but John Coates, head of the Australian Olympic Committee, said the list was made up of seven rowers, four swimmers, 14 track and field athletes and two canoeists.

(China Daily)