Drug tainted Taiwan weightlifter says sorry

Taipei: Disgraced Taiwan weightlifter Chen Po-Pu returned home on Thursday and apologised for becoming the first Olympian to be barred from the Sydney Games for a drugs offence.

"I feel very sorry and regretful," Chen told reporters on arrival at Taiwan's international airport at dawn.

He declined to comment on his testing positive for steroids. "I'd rather not talk about it. It's not important," he said.

Chen was ordered to pack his bags after his coach was told by Olympic officials he had tested positive during a screening last month in Taipei.

Chen, who took silver and bronze medals at world junior competitions in 1997 and 1998, was on the reserve list to compete in the 62 kg category in Sydney.

He was the third Taiwan weightlifter to test positive in the past few weeks. The International Weightlifting Federation has banned two others, including three-times world champion Chen Jui-Lien, from competing at Sydney.

Taiwan's best hopes for medals in Sydney are still in weightlifting, table tennis and taekwondo. The island took one silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

To spur on its athletes, Taiwan showers cash and prizes on medal winners. Just days before the Olympic squad of Taiwan's rival China was due to head off for Sydney, Beijing announced the dramatic axing of 40 members of the delegation, including 27 athletes.



(c) Reuters Limited.