Chinese dope allegations repeated

Australia's head swimming coach, Don Talbot, has again maintained that Chinese swimmers are drug cheats, and he rejected attempts by the world swimming governing body to defend China.

On Sunday, Talbot accused Chinese swimmers of doping, amid suspicions aroused after Chinese swimmers set two world records and outstanding times at the Chinese National Games in Shanghai.

Gunnar Werner, the secretary of the International Amateur Swimming Federation (FINA), said then that Talbot had no proof to back his claims, and added the allegations may be because the Australians felt threatened in the lead-up to the world championships in Perth in January.

In Shanghai, Chen Yan set a women's 400 metres individual medley record, the oldest in swimming, and Wu Yanyan smashed the 200 metres individual medley. Nine Asian records were also beaten.

The Chinese sports authorities have already defended the performances. The president of the Chinese Swimming Association, Guo Qinglong, said drugs allegations were "fabricated rumours".

Werner, speaking on Australian radio, said he was not surprised unknown Chinese swimmers should break world records, as they were preparing for world championships.

But the media director for Australian Swimming, Ian Hanson, said: "Don refutes everything that (FINA secretary) Gunnar Werner said.

"Don said to me this morning that his judgment was made on his 40 years experience as one of the world's leading coaches," Hanson said.

He said Talbot had particularly specified the remarkable improvement of Chen Yan in the 400 metres individual medley and freestyle. She had taken 20 seconds off her best times in both events in the last 12 months.

"She's gone from 22nd in the Olympic freestyle to number one in the world and in the medley from four minutes 53 seconds in the Olympics to a world record 4:30," Hanson said.

"At 15, such an improvement is unheard of. There's no explanation other than drugs."

Hanson said Australian Swimming had written to FINA "to keep them on their toes and ensure out-of-competition testing is done".

"We believe it's time for other countries, particularly European, to stand up and be counted and follow Australia's anti-drugs stance," he said.

Werner said Chinese athletes had used drugs in the past but had increased their fight against drug use.

Chinese women swimmers took 12 of the 16 titles at the 1994 world championships in Rome. But seven swimmers were among 11 Chinese to fail drug tests at the Hiroshima Asian Games in October of the same year.

Werner said the Chinese were continuing to report to FINA on their progress while FINA continued to make out-of-competition drug tests on Chinese athletes.