Taiwan dumps weightlifting champ

The Chinese Taipei Weightlifting Federation (CTWF) has said it will not enter Chen for the games following the test because it did not want to harm the spirit of the Olympics.

Chen has been fined $1 million Taiwan (32,162 US dollars) and banned from participating in any competition for two years.

Her case has provoked a storm of protest here, with President Chen Shui-bian joining the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) in calling for leniency. Weightlifting officials remained unmoved by the calls however.

“If Chen (Jui-lien) were to represent the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) in the Games, it would suggest there is lack of discipline and justice with us,” Chiu said.

A spokesman for CTOC said Chen’s suspension would damage the team’s medal prospects. “She is a world champion. Taiwan loses an opportunity to get a medal if Chen is barred from the Games,” said Lin Yung-Fu, director of CTOC’s media office.

CTOC claimed Chen should have been selected because she tested negative in three subsequent tests after her positive sample in March. She has been included on a provisional list of athletes for the Olympic team, but will be unable to be included unless CTWF gives its consent.

Keter in Olympics team after court case

NAIROBI: Eric Keter will run in the 400m hurdles for Kenya at the Sydney Olympics after a court ruling here on Tuesday.

The Kenyan High Court ordered the country’s athletics governing body to include the 1999 All-African Games bronze medallist in the National Olympics team.

The athlete had petitioned the court to compel the Kenya Amateur Atheletics Association (KAAA) to include him in the team after being left out despite having reached the qualifying mark.

Keter, who became the first Kenyan athlete to reach the World championship final in Tokyo nine years ago, had asserted that KAAA had maliciously and unlawfully excluded him from participating in the Sydney Olympics.

An elated Keter donned the white and red National team uniform after judge Alnashir Visram directed KAAA to include him in the squad which is due to travel Australia on Thursday.

“I have been training very hard, using a lot of money,” he said. “It was very unfair for the association to disqualify me from competing in the Sydney Olympic Games,” he added.