Chinese athletes from track and field took an anti-doping exam in the eve of the first competition day at the 6th Chinese City Games in Wuhan, central China on Sunday.

 

"We want the athletes to learn some anti-doping knowledge through the exam," said Luo Chaoyi, director of China's Administrative Center of Track and Field.

 

"If they cannot pass the exam, they will not qualify for the competitions at the Chinese City Games," Luo said.

 

"We decided to take harsh action against athletes who use banned drugs at the Chinese City Games," said Luo, echoed IOC president Jacques Rogge's call at the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, last August.

 

Rogge had announced that serious doping offenders would be banned from the next Olympics even if their regular suspension had already ended in August.

 

The exam is about the basic knowledge of anti-doping.

 

"It's quite simple," said Yang Dingrong, athlete of the women's 5000 meters race. "It took me only 30 minutes."

 

At the mean time, an anti-doping exhibition is being held at the City Games, and a program of drug marketing inspection had been launched by Chinese government before the City Games raising.

 

"We should win the gold through hard training rather than using drugs," Luo told the athletes.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2007)