Doping

Quách Thị Lan is one of five Vietnamese athletes banned from competitions due to doping. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Five Vietnamese athletes who tested positive for illegal substances after the 31st SEA Games will be stripped of their medals and banned from future competitions.

The Việt Nam Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) on June 27 announced penalties for these athletes 10 months after their violation.

Following a document sent to the Việt Nam Athletics Federation, VADA will revoke the gold medal of Vũ Thị Ngọc Hà in the women's long jump event and a silver in the triple jump. She will be banned for 16 months from May 16, 2022, to September 16, 2023.

Lê Ngọc Phúc suffers the same ban and has to surrender his 400m silver and 4x400m relay silver.

Runner Khuất Phương Anh's gold medal in the women's 800m and silver in the 1,500m events will also be retracted. She will be banned for 18 months from May 16, 2022, to November 16, 2023.

The same 18-month ban applies for runner Quách Thị Lan who will be out of action from May 17, 2022, to November 17, 2023. Her golds in the women's 400m hurdle and 4x400m will be stripped.

Runner Hoàng Thị Ngọc will be banned for 18 months from May 18, 2022, to November 18, 2023. Ngọc will have to give up her gold in the 4x400m relay. 

The bans are not as heavy as the usual four-year ones from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

All the athletes used the same supplements which they bought themselves and claimed not to know they were banned substances.

Runner Lan even checked with his team's doctor about the supplements and was given permission to use them. This was a new variant on the market and it is claimed little was known about it. 

These five players were earlier banned from competing at the National Sports Games last December.

Even with their medals stripped, Việt Nam still maintains its spot as the top in the medal tally with 23 golds, 125 silvers and 116 bronzes. — VNS