Hormones found in Yuan's bag an illegal substance<\/p>\n
PERTH, Australia (AFP): The human growth hormones uncovered in
\nthe baggage of Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan this week were enough to
\nuse for the entire Chinese team at the world championship here,
\nU.S. coach Jon Urbanchek said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Australian Customs confirmed Friday that the substance found
\nin Yuan's baggage at Sydney Airport on Thursday was a prohibited
\nhuman growth hormone.<\/p>\n
Her coach Zhou Zhewen admitted to a customs official that he
\nhad packed the 13 vials of somatropin into Yuan's baggage to pass
\non to someone in Australia.<\/p>\n
Yuan and Zhou have been expelled from the championship by the
\nChinese delegation and face minimum four-year bans from the sport
\nfor trafficking in the hormones.<\/p>\n
Their fate was expected to be known possibly later yesterday
\nwhen FINA's doping panel reach their conclusions from an inquiry.<\/p>\n
Urbanchek, the head men's coach of the U.S. team, said he had
\nbeen informed by the American head of the world swimming
\nfederation's medical commission that the 13 vials found in Yuan's
\npossession could be enough to administer to the whole 23-member
\nChinese contingent at the championship.<\/p>\n
"Dr Allen Richardson told me the amount seized was good enough
\nfor the entire Chinese team for the duration of this
\ncompetition," Urbanchek said.<\/p>\n
"I'm not sure what the purpose of it was, but it definitely
\nwasn't the reason they gave," Urbanchek told reporters after a
\npress conference.<\/p>\n
"The party line was that a coach made a mistake and brought it
\nout for a friend in Canberra, but I think it's a party line and
\nmy name is Mao Zedong."<\/p>\n
"I think the turtle soup they were going to cook here is going
\nto taste a little bit different, the main ingredient is missing."<\/p>\n
Urbanchek said he did not believe the entire Chinese team
\nshould be sent packing from Perth.<\/p>\n
"I don't think FINA has the authority to throw anybody out, I
\nthink it should be up to every country to police themselves."<\/p>\n
"The dope control is going to be 100 percent only if every
\ncountry will buy into it, as Australia, some European countries
\nand the USA are doing," he said.<\/p>\n
Task force<\/p>\n
The world swimming federation FINA yesterday announced the
\nformation of a task force of science, research and forensic
\nexperts to find ways of combating the sport's drug problems.<\/p>\n
FINA secretary Gunnar Werner said the task force members, who
\nhave to be appointed, will report back to the world swim body
\nwithin six months.<\/p>\n
Werner said the task force will examine and provide
\nrecommendations on improving the coordination of research; the
\ndevelopment and improvement of coordination and consistency of
\nnational and international policies; the transport and
\ntrafficking of substances and identifying problems such as the
\ninability of detecting certain substances and potential problems
\nwith future performance enhancing drugs.<\/p>\n
FINA's decision to form a task force follows the discovery of
\ngrowth hormone drugs in the baggage of Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan
\non her way to the world championships here.<\/p>\n
Yuan Yuan and her coach Zhou Zhewen face possible four-year
\nsuspensions in a FINA doping panel currently deliberating on the
\ncase.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hormones-found-in-yuans-bag-an-illegal-substance-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}