China detected 18 doping cases across 10 disciplines in 2003 and four athletes have so far returned positive results this year, according to the Chinese Olympic Committee's Anti-doping Commission.

It is the first time that the commission has released a list of athletes who have failed drug tests.

The announcement comes in the wake of March's implementation of an anti-doping regulation, and illustrates the government's determination to stamp out doping.

"As of May 10,China has conducted 1,366 urine tests and 79 blood tests this year, with four tests turning out positive," said Shi Kangcheng, director of the Anti-doping Commission.

According to Shi, 16 athletes from nine different sports--in addition to two racehorses--failed doping checks last year.

There were five positive swabs from track and field athletes, three from weightlifters and two from canoeists, with the remainder split evenly between cycling, football (soccer), lifesaving, ski jumping, swimming and wrestling.

Swimmer Li Ning was suspended for two years and her coach, Liu Guangtan, banned for life after the Li tested positive for testosterone during an out-of-competition test on November 17 last year.

It was the first doping case in Chinese swimming in two years.

Five days after Li muddied the reputation of Chinese swimmers, Beijing Hyundai defender Zhang Shuai became the first Chinese footballer to flunk a doping test. Traces of ephedrine in Zhang's sample brought him a six-month ban.

Three track and field athletes, including Zheng Yongji and Li Huiquan, who both took EPO, received three-year bans, the heaviest penalties meted out by the Chinese Olympic Committee.

EPO boosts endurance by stimulating the production of red blood cells.

Discus thrower Dai Wenbing was also banned for three years for taking the muscle-building drug metenolone.

China has attempted to keep up with cutting-edge anti-doping technologies.

The new anti-doping rule, promulgated by the State Council on February 3, contains 47 articles in six chapters that include specific penalties for offenses.

According to Li Furong, vice-minister of China's State General Administration of Sports and a director of the Anti-doping Commission, the regulation has put China among the small number of countries that have published anti-doping rules on behalf of the government.

In addition, China's drug testing lab, established in 1990, has passed the International Olympic Committee's level-A examination for 15 successive years.

In April, the commission was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 Certificate for its doping control system.

(China Daily June 3, 2004)