IAAF seeks Chinese help in athlete's claims of systematic doping

New Delhi: In a sensational claim which surfaced only this week, world record holding Chinese runner Wang Junxia has said that Chinese regime ran state-sponsored doping.

The previously unseen letter was apparently written by Junxia in 1995, but only published in state media this week. In the letter, the 43-year-old reportedly claimed that she and her teammates were forced to take “large doses of illegal drugs over the years”.

However, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said it was aware of the letter and is trying to confirm if it was genuine.

In a statement, it said: "The IAAF's first action must be to verify that the letter is genuine. In this respect, the IAAF has asked the Chinese Athletics Association to assist it in that process."

Wang, who still holds two world records, broke the world record for 10,000m and 3,000m in 1993. No athlete is yet to come within 20 seconds of her time on the 10,000m. She also won the 5,000m at the 1996 Olympics, finishing second in the 10,000m.