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US, British athletes involved in doping: China

By Super
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Google Oneindia News

Sydney: Stung by allegations of widespread doping among its athletes, China on Wednesday hit out at the double-standards of its Western critics and said China's tough testing regime was a model for others to copy.

"It's an open secret that US, Australian, French, British and German athletes are doing it," top sports official He Huixian told reporters.

"China should not be singled out."

China, bidding for the 2008 Olympics, has come out swinging on the doping issue in Sydney.

By axing 27 athletes before the Sydney Games, including six of seven members of the "Ma Family Army" of female long-distance runners and coach Ma Junren himself, Beijing believes it has sent a strong signal to the world it is serious about catching doping cheats.

Underlining the message that China believes it has nothing to hide, he revealed on Tuesday for the first time that almost all the banned athletes had showed evidence of using the stamina-boosting substance EPO.

Previously, Chinese state media said surgery to the squad list was due to a variety of factors, including "suspicious" drugs test.

Chinese sports officials are clearly upset at a cynical reaction outside China to the move. Australian media have put it down to a desperation by Beijing to avoid a doping scandal in Sydney that could derail its Olympic bid.

Polluted Olympics

Ironically, the first athlete to be tossed out of Sydney over doping was a weightlifter from China's arch-rival Taiwan. Chen Po-Pu was ordered out on Wednesday after testing positive for steroids before arriving.

Deputy sports minister He said China began testing for EPO two years ago, shortly after the first screening techniques were available -- and well before Beijing made a pitch to stage the 2008 Games.

She said China was one of the first countries to face up to the problem.Testing for EPO has been introduced for the first time at the Sydney Games."People should stop pointing fingers at others and take a look at themselves," he said.

"They should study our methods."

She said unlike some countries that allowed top athletes to dodge drugs inspectors, nobody could escape in China, where six confirmed positive results had been recorded from 315 tests.

"None of our athletes dare refuse tests," she said.

She declined to give details of the athletes dumped for suspected doping among the group of 27, saying those tests had yet to be verified.

That episode, she said, "shows our support for the Sydney Olympics"."EPO has seriously polluted the Olympic movement," he said. "Unless each country starts facing the problem then what will be the meaning of the Olympics? What will be the meaning of fair competition.

"We're not afraid of how the world views us," she added.

(c) Reuters Limited.

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