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)