Chinese uphold athlete's ban

ATHLETICS: Chinese sports authorities upheld a two-year ban imposed on runner Sun Yingjie for testing positive for the banned steroid androsterone, even after a domestic court declared her innocent yesterday.

A former training partner confessed to the court he had spiked Sun's kiwi juice with the drug during China's national games in October.

"Under international anti-doping rules, athletes are responsible for what is in their bodies, and the fact that Sun Yingjie used steroids has not changed," Shen Chunde, of the State Administration of Sport's Athletics Management Centre, said.