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Banned Olympic champion Tong may miss London Games

2010-05-10 11:57 Xinhuanet

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Olympic judo champion Tong Wen may be stopped from attending the 2012 London Olympics if the Chinese sports authorities impose more sanction on top of her two-year ban for doping.

Tong Friday was handed a two-year ban by the International Judo Federation after she tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol in last year's world championships in the Netherlands.

Tong's world title was taken away but her Beijing Olympics crown in +78kg was untouched.

A Chinese sports official said Tong, the first Chinese Olympic champion ever being banned for doping, may receive another ban at home.

"The investigation is going on, so we are still in discussion on what kind of punishment should be given to her," Ma Wenguang, the director of China's weightlifting, wrestling and judo administration center, told reporters on Monday.

"It is possible that we hand her another ban," he said.

The center could give Tong as much as a four-year ban according to an announcement made by the State General Administration of Sports in January, 2009 in a bid to curb doping offence in the National Games in October last year.

"As of the announcement was made, any athlete tested positive will be banned for four years," the Administration said in the announcement.

Tong, 27, did not make public appearance since the incident.