Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Coach beats Chinese marathon runner

Chinese athletes often have to endure years of punishing training in boot camp conditions and remain silent. Doping among athletes is another problem to add to the list. Let’s write to the IOC and tell them this is tarnishing the Olympic spirit.

BEIJING, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Banned Chinese marathon runner Sun Yingjie has claimed she left her coach, Wang Dexian, because he beat her severely with a belt, local media reported on Wednesday.

Wang, former head coach of China's athletics team, was banned from coaching for life by Chinese sports authorities in January, after Sun -- 10,000 metre bronze medallist at the 2003 world championships -- tested positive for the steroid androsterone after a domestic race meeting last October under his training.

Sun, one of China's brightest track hopefuls for the 2008 Olympics, was also banned for two years, but has continued training in the hope of competing at the Beijing Olympics.

Sun said she split from her coach after he lashed her with a buckled belt, the Beijing News reported.

"He hit me and called me an ungrateful thing. In over 10 years of beatings, this was the most vicious one," she told state television.

"My back was bruised all over. I could not dare to change my clothes, I simply could not take them off. At the time, I felt that the Olympics and my dreams were no longer important. I felt life was too tiring." (more)


OLYMPIC WATCH: Human Rights in China and Beijing 2008

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