Doping violations have increased in China ahead of this year’s National Games of the People’s Republic of China, with eight athletes testing positive in the second quarter of the year, the country’s anti-doping authorities said yesterday.
Twelve positive cases have been registered this year, already matching the number of violations last year, the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency said.
“The number of positive cases has largely increased compared with that of last year, which sent us a warning,” anti-doping head He Zhenwen told Xinhua news agency.
The 11th version of the inter-provincial event drew 15,133 athletes from 46 teams competing in 362 events in 33 sports in Jinan, Shandong Province, in 2009.
The quadrennial event, first held in 1959 in Beijing when China was isolated from most of the rest of the sporting world, remains the main way the government appraises the work of provincial sports authorities.
Funding for the provinces is largely based on their success at the Games, which has encouraged cheating through doping and falsifying the age of athletes.
“There always will be someone who risks doping for unfair advantage when the return is lucrative,” He said. “History taught us that the National Games could well be the reason for cheating.”
China’s women’s 100m champion Wang Jing was banned for life after she tested positive for the performance enhancers metabolites epitestosterone and testosterone after winning the 100m race at the 2009 Games in Jinan, Shandong Povince.
In 2005, Sun Yingjie, a former World Championship bronze medalist, tested positive after finishing second in the 10,000m race a day after winning the Beijing Marathon.
In the 2001 edition, 11 athletes failed dope tests, while three field athletes and a swimmer pulled out after “abnormal” results.
The 12th edition of the tournament will be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 12 in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, one of the country’s sporting powerhouses.
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
The Detroit Tigers’ Lee Hao-yu on Monday collected his first and second MLB hits in their 8-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers’ No. 6 prospect, who batted eighth, had an RBI single and a double in four at-bats at Fenway Park, raising his batting average to .182. “He was super thrilled to get his first hit,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the game. “There’s only one first, you know, and for him, it’s been a couple of games where he’s really been wanting to do it. I’m glad he did it here.” “Young guys settle in when they start
RSS