Asian Games organisers on Friday kicked out China's gold medal-winning women's hammer thrower Zhang Wenxiu for doping, in the most high-profile case yet at the tournament.
The Olympic Council of Asia said 28-year-old Zhang, who won a bronze medal at the 2007 world championships and 2008 Olympics, had tested positive for the anabolic agent zeranol.
Zhang is the sixth athlete to be kicked out of the Games in Incheon, South Korea for doping and the second gold medal-winner after Malaysia's wushu champion Tai Cheau Xuen.
Zhang hurled an Asian Games record 77.33 metres to win her third straight Asiad gold on Sunday. She set the Asian record of 77.68m in March.
Despite her disqualification, China will keep the gold as team-mate Wang Zheng came second ahead of India's Bala Manju and Masumi Aya of Japan.Zenarol, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, is widely used to fatten livestock. Athletes are known to take it illegally for its muscle-building properties.
Zhang follows Tai, a Tajik footballer, a Cambodian soft tennis player, an Iraqi weightlifter and a Syrian karate fighter in failing tests at the Asian Games.
The OCA says that a record 1,900 athletes out of some 9,500 in Incheon will undergo drug tests.
Source: AFP