According to a statement by the anti-doping commission of the COC, Zeng, 19, failed an out-of-competition doping test on April 21.

    The positive result was confirmed after Zeng did not require the test on her B sample.

    But Zeng claimed that she had never used such a banned substance.

    "I have never heard of it, let alone using it," she said.

    Zeng added that she was forced to give up the B sample test due to shortage of money.

    "The second test will cost me 5,000 yuan (about 625 US dollars), and I can't afford it, "said Zeng.

    "Besides, I heard that the results of A and B sample tests are always the same, so there is no point of asking for a second test."

    Zeng won the silver of the women's 58 kg total at the 2005 World university weightlifting championship. She finished seventh in jerk and lift at the national weightlifting championships in April but failed in all her three attempts in snatch.

    Zeng, formerly a weightlifter of Hunan Province, moved to the Beijing team in February. She had denied taking any banned substance while training with the Hunan team.

    Yu Jinglong, who was appointed coach of the Beijing team in January, has been suspended following the test result and faced a one-year ban.

    But Yu, who started to coach Zeng only two months ago, also protested his innocence, saying that they might be trapped by others.

    "I became coach of the Beijing team only four months ago, so it is unlikely for me to ask Zeng to do it, which would end her career as well as mine." he said.

    The COC anti-doping commission said that the test result will be sent to the Chinese weightlifting association which will then hand out punishments on Zeng and Yu as well as other people involved. Enditem