China's Luo Xuejuan, Olympic champion of the women's100-metre
breaststroke in Athens, will not appear in Doha for the Asian
Games.
"Luo will be out of the 2006 Doha Asian Games due to her healthy
condition, and she will fully prepare for the Beijing Olympics."
said Shang Xiutang, deputy director in charge of water games of the
Water Sports Administration Center on Friday.
The two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist has been
in hot water since she was booted from national team training and
told to return to the Zhejiang provincial team in July.
Controversy has swirled around Luo, with local reports
speculating that she has got into trouble over sponsorship money, a
boyfriend, or over a refusal to train since the East Asian Games
last November.
"It is certainly not because she made a mistake that she was
sent back to the provincial team," China national swim team
assistant manager Shang Xiutang told the Sohu.com sports website
last month.
"If the condition of an athlete does not conform to a high level
of training, and disrupts her training, then this is a problem,
therefore the national team has asked Luo Xuejuan to return to the
Zhejiang team."
(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)
