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Wednesday, September 6
World champ won't compete at Sydney
Reuters
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan said Wednesday two of
its women weightlifters, including world champion Chen
Jui-lian, have been barred from the Olympics because they
tested positive for drugs earlier this year.
The cabinet's National Council on Physical Fitness and
Sports said in a statement it accepted the decision by the
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which had come
under "strong international pressure."
The council expressed regret over the incidents, which it
said would serve as a warning to other Taiwan athletes and
coaches.
Chen, who won gold in the women's 63 kg division at the
1999 world championships in Athens, had been picked to bring
home Taiwan's first Olympic gold medal.
Taiwan's weightlifting association, responsible for
nominating athletes to the Olympics, suspended Chen from
competition for two years after she tested positive for
steroids in March and another year for disobeying her coach.
Wu Mei-yi was suspended after testing positive in July for
using the same kind of drugs.
But the association quashed the bans last month after a
task force appointed by the council ruled that the tests were
not conducted according to international standards.
Wu's coach, Tsai Wen-yee, insisted the tests contained
"many flaws."
"What right do they have to ban Wu Mei-yi?" Tsai told
Reuters.
"Our officials are too foolish," said Tsai, who took bronze
in men's weightlifting at the 1984 Olympics. "They went and
told others our problems. Now the whole world knows."
"Our children died at our own hands."
Chen could not be reached for comment. She was quoted by
Taiwan's mass circulation China Times as saying she intends to
go back to her studies.
It was unclear if Taiwan would be allowed to field
replacements for the pair. The deadline for nominating athletes
to the Games was Aug. 25.
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