Chinese female swimmer banned for two years for doping at Rio

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Chinese swimmer Chen Xinyi has been banned for two years after failing a drug test at the Rio Olympics, the sport's governing body, FINA, announced.

Chen finished fourth in the women's 100 meters butterfly at Rio this year, but did not start in the 50m freestyle heats after reports said she had tested positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, a masking agent that can cover up performance-enhancing drugs.

"The FINA Doping Panel decided to impose on the athlete a period of two years' ineligibility, starting on 11 August 2016 and ending on 10 August 2018 for her first anti-doping rule violation," FINA said in a statement.

"Furthermore, the FINA Doping Panel acknowledged the Court of Arbitration for Sport Panel decision regarding the disqualification of the athlete's results at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."

After allegations at Rio emerged, Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) said they resolutely opposed the use of banned substances, and promised to look into Chen’s case demanding full cooperation from the athlete.

The CSA has not commented on FINA’s ban.

Chen's suspension followed Friday's release of the second part of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency report, carried out by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, into state-sponsored doping in Russia.

It said more than 1,000 Russian competitors across 30 sports in the summer and winter Olympics and Paralympics were involved in an institutional conspiracy to conceal positive drug tests dating back to at least 2011.

(Story with inputs from Reuters)