Athlete found guilty of doping

The Chinese Modern Pentathlon Association said on Sunday that its leadership respects the decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sports concerning Chinese athlete Chen Qian.

The association announced that the court had found Chen guilty of doping, annulling her result at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished fourth. It did not name the banned drug that led to the decision.

"We will seriously deal with the doping incident involving Chen Qian and draw lessons from it," an association statement said.

"We will show no mercy in the punishment of those responsible," the statement said.

The pentathlon group admitted the incident had underlined a complicated and difficult situation facing anti-doping efforts in the Chinese modern pentathlon and laid bare loopholes in the association's fight against doping.

"The CMPA must and will reflect on its work; keep alarm bells ringing; strengthen anti-doping measures, including education, management, scrutiny and punishment; and build a defense line that allows no blind spots, in order to effectively prevent, crack down and punish any doping offenses," the statement said.

The Chinese Olympic Committee said on Sunday that it will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

The committee condemned Chen's doping offense as a violation of sporting ethics and the Olympic spirit, saying members respect the CAS' decision and will punish those responsible for the offense.

The committee reiterated its stance of having zero tolerance toward doping in sports.

"We have long been firmly against doping and take a zero-tolerance approach," the organization said in a statement. "We have made it very clear that we want to ensure fair play and the well-being of athletes."

Xinhua