Chinese female triathlon athlete Wang Hongni received a two-year suspension after having tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

 

 

A file photo of Wang Hongni

 

Website sohu.com quoted sources on the Chinese Triathlon Association as saying that the anabolic-Androgenic steroid, one of the matters banned by the International Anti-doping Agency (IADA), was found in Wang's samples.

 

The suspension came into effect on October 6 and will expire on October 5, 2009, which means the runner will miss the Beijing Olympics next year.

 

Wang decided to give up a hearing over the case on Saturday.

 

The 24-year-old pocketed the titles at both the 10th National Games in 2005 and the Doha Asian Games last December.

 

Chinese athletes' clean records in the worldwide anti-doping move was blemished in the recent years. Sun Yingjie, one of the country's most competitive long-distance runners, was found involved in a doping scandal at the 2005 National Games.

 

Sun was kicked out of the event with a two-year ban and her silver medal in women's 10,000m taken back.

 

The Organizers of the Beijing Olympics have promised a clean event in 2008 as 4,500 samples are expected to be examined during the Games, the largest number in the Olympic history.

 

(CRI October 11, 2007)