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World champion Liu Hong banned for one month for minor fault in using massage lotion

Xinhua, July 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Women's 20km race walk world champion and world record holder Liu Hong has served out a one-month ban for unintentionally using massage lotion that contains Higenamine.

"We were informed by the IAAF on June 2 that Liu Hong was tested positive of Higenamine after the competition at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome on May 7," the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) said in a statement released here on Friday.

Higenamine is a chemical compound that can be found in a variety of plants. It is not on WADA's list of prohibited substances but the results of a 2009 study exposed the compound as a Beta2 adrenergic receptor agonist that can cause smooth muscle relaxation.

"The amount of higenamine found in Liu's test sample was very low. After an investigation, the anti-doping lab in Rome found higenamine in the massage lotion that Liu has been using," said the CAA. "After the hearing, the IAAF believed Liu was not using higenamine intentionally to enhance her performance. Therefore, with the suggestion from the IAAF, the CAA decided to ban Liu from June 13, 2016 to July 13, 2016."

According to the CAA, Liu's results achieved at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships and the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in La Coruna in May were also nullifed. The 29-year-old Chinese won the women's 20km event on both occassions. Endit