China’s ‘female Liu Xiang’ banned four years for doping – career looks over and now married

Top Chinese hurdler Wu Shuijiao, once hailed as the “women’s Liu Xiang”, has been banned for four years because of doping.

The 2014 Asian Games champion tested positive for banned substance norandrosterone in an out-of-competition test last June. Wu then requested a test of the B sample before a hearing was held last month.

The Chinese Athletics Association said both samples were found to be positive and banned the hurdler until July 2022. Wu, 27, was also required to pay for the testing fee of 20 samples at 20,000 yuan (nearly US$3,000).

Her coach, Dai Jianhua, was also banned for two years and fined 20,000 yuan.

Wu won the 100-metre hurdles at the Incheon Games in 12.72 seconds and also represented China at the 2016 Rio Olympics where she finished fourth in the heats and did not make it to the next round.

Her name was surprisingly missing from the country’s 2018 Asian Games squad after Wu triumphed at the 2017 National Championships and the National Games in Tianjin.