China anti-doping agency to resume testing halted by coronavirus

China Anti-Doping ncy will resume testing this week after a temporary suspension due to coronavirus epidemic, World Anti-Doping ncy said. In a statement from its Montreal hequarters, WA said on Friday it h been "closely monitoring" situation since CHINA suspended testing in mainland China on February 3. At time, Chinese ncy said move was me out of an abundance of caution "so as t to endanger athletes or test officials" as country grappled with dely outbreak of virus, kwn as COVID-19 -- with its epicenter in China's central Hubei province.

WA said it h been vised by CHINA that ncy would resume testing in China this week on a phased basis. With Tokyo Olympics less than six months away, priority will be given to testing elite level athletes "from higher-risk categories and sports," WA said. " safety of athletes and sample collection personnel involved in doping control process within China is key priority," WA said. "This needs to be balanced with importance of ensuring that Chinese athletes remain subject to a rigorous testing program for duration of coronavirus situation." 

CHINA has implemented supplementary doping control guidelines designed to minimize risk of infection for doping control officers.

"CHINA will grually expand testing scope based on progress of China's epidemic prevention and control while also monitoring whereabouts of Chinese athletes to maintain integrity of doping control system," WA said.

ncy ted that during temporary suspension of testing in China, CHINA continued to plan and carry out testing on Chinese athletes training and competing outside of country.

In January 2020, CHINA conducted more than 1,200 tests, including 114 urine samples and 80 blood samples from Chinese athletes training abro," WA said. By end of February a furr 165 urine samples and 113 blood samples are expected to have been collected across seven countries from athletes in nine Olympic sports. WA has written to international sports federations and national anti-doping ncies urging m to support efforts to test Chinese athletes training and competing outside ir country.

" anti-doping system allows for cooperation between Os -- including National Anti-Doping Organizations, International Federations, Major Event Organizations etc. -- to ensure that integrity of program is upheld and that athletes are still being properly tested," WA said.

CHINA carries out some 15,000 anti-doping tests a year, according to its website. In 2017 it conducted more than 10,000 tests, third most by any national ncy behind Germany and Britain, according to WA. China is a sporting power both in competition and as a host. It finished third in gold medals and second in total medals at 2016 Rio Olympics and has high hopes for Tokyo Games, but it has h some doping issues. Swimmer Sun Yang, a three-time Olympic champion who was suspended for three months in 2014 for doping, is facing a second ban, for destroying his sample with a hammer after a doping control. Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to deliver a verdict soon.

Calendar chaos

COVID-19 outbreak has led to chaos across Asia's sporting calendar. All Chinese domestic football has been suspended and events cancelled or postponed include World Indoor Athletics championships, qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics boxing and women's basketball and cycling's Tour of Hainan. Soker, bminton, golf and tennis tournaments have been cancelled along with Formula One Chinese Grand Prix and Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. outbreak, which began in December, has killed more than 2,200 people and infected more than 75,000 in China. More than 1,150 people have also been infected and more than a dozen have died across 27 or countries.