Olympic Judo Champion Tong Wen Wins Doping Ban Appeal

Chinese Olympic judo champion Tong Wen still has the opportunity to attend the 2012 London Olympic Games after winning a doping ban appeal on Wednesday, The Shanghai Evening Post reports.

The International Judo Federation had imposed a two-year ban on Tong Wen for a positive clenbuterol test in April 2010, despite her denial of knowingly using the drug. The suspension was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) because of a "procedural failure" in the laboratory tests.

Tong tested positive for the muscle-building, fat-burning drug one month after she defended her championship title at the August 2009 world championship in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

In November 2009, the International Judo Federation ordered a test of Tong's backup "B" sample and again found traces of clenbuterol.

But the CAS believed the "B" test was not a valid confirmation of the original finding of clenbuterol, because Tong or her agent was not present when the "B" sample was analyzed.

The court said in a statement, "Tong's results at the 2009 world championships are reinstated. She is to retain the gold medal won at those championships, and she is to be reinstated to sports participation with immediate effect."

The 28-year-old athlete won a gold medal in the women's judo heavyweight division in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Before that, she won two championship titles at the judo world championships in 2005 and 2007.

(CRIENGLISH.com February 24, 2011)