Athletics: Training partner 'spiked' Chinese star's drink

The Chinese sports authorities have upheld a two-year ban imposed on runner Sun Yingjie for testing positive for the banned steroid androsterone, even after a domestic court declared her innocent.

It was reported in China that a former training partner, Yu Haijiang, had confessed to the court that he had spiked Sun's kiwi juice with the drug during China's National Games in October, but had done so with good intentions and had no idea the drug was banned. "I just wanted to help Sun because she is my idol," Yu said.

"Under international anti-doping rules, athletes are responsible for what is in their bodies, and the fact that Sun Yingjie used steroids has not changed," Shen Chunde, an official from the State Administration of Sport's Athletics Management Centre, said.

Sun, one of China's brightest track hopefuls for the 2008 Olympics, tested positive after coming second in the 10,000 metres at the National Games - which was a day after she won the Beijing international marathon and passed a doping test.