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| Xing Huina (L) and Liu Qing are seen in the
final meters. |
Chinese Olympic champion Xing Huina was Wednesday stripped of her gold in the women's 1,500m
final in the China National Games for fouling second-placed Liu Qing.
Xing had elbowed Liu in the final meters and sprinted to take first spot, the National
Games Arbitration Panel announced late Wednesday.
She was stripped of her medal and Liu was announced as the winner.
Xing had clocked four minutes and 3.97 seconds. Liu finished in 4:04.00
followed by Huang Jing in 4:10.13.
Even Xing's time was way
off the world record of 3:50.46 set by compatriot Qu
Yunxia at the 1993 China National Games, and nearly seven seconds off the
world best in the event so far this year.
Xing had earlier matched her 10,000m Athens gold with victory in the
same event.
On Monday, she beat Sun Yingjie and Zhou Chunxiu also by outsprinting
them down the home stretch.
Sun and Zhou had placed first and second respectively in the marathon a
day earlier.
On Thursday, China's three strongest middle and long distance women
runners will meet up again in the preliminary rounds of the 5,000m. The
final is scheduled for Saturday.
"Tomorrow I'll run in the 5,000m preliminary, so it is too early to
think about another gold medal," Xing had said before being stripped of
her gold.
"I just want to race one race at a time and then we will see what
happens afterward."
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-10-20 10:58
