Sonia should have two more golds
Athlete furious as doctor says doping was widespread among China’s team
SONIA O’Sullivan should have two more gold medals to her name, as a former doctor for China’s athletics team has said doping was rife among its athletes during the Cork star’s golden era.
After Xue Yinxian of China made the claims, O’Sullivan took to Facebook to cndemn the delay in evidence emerging and that moments of glory ‘can never be given back’.
Ms Yinxian, an ex-team doctor, has claimed all medals won by China in the 1980s and 1990s should be handed back. O’Sullivan lost out on two potential World Championships golds in 1993 when as she was beaten by Chinese runners.
But the medals cannot be retrospectively stripped because the statute of limitations has passed.
Olympic hero O’Sullivan said she was astonished it took so long for the fresh evidence to emerge, writing on Facebook: ‘It is not surprising but astonishing that it has taken this long to produce some concrete evidence. Where there is smoke, there is fire and the truth never goes away.
‘Once again I feel the athletes that have cheated down through the years have been looked after much greater than the clean athletes who continue to work hard and achieve credible results that they can all stand up and be proud of, yet so often lose out on that moment of glory which can never be given back.
‘The governors of sport have a lot to answer to, time to lift up the rug and clean out everything that’s been swept under.’ O’Sullivan was twice denied gold at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart. The Irish runner was forced into fourth place by Qu Yunxia, Zhang Linli and Zhang Lirong in the 3000m finishing fourth. She claimed a silver medal in the 1500m but was beaten by another Chinese athlete.
Ms Yinxian cast doubt on the legitimacy of those wins, telling German broadcaster ARD Sportschau: ‘In the 1980s and 1990s, Chinese athletes on the national teams made extensive use of doping substances. Medals were tainted by doping – gold, silver and bronze.
‘There must have been more than 10,000 people involved... All international medals [won by Chinese athletes in that time] should be taken back.’