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| Chinese runner Wang Fang waves her
national flag after winning women's T36 100 meters race with
world-record- breaking 13'88 seconds in Athens Paralympics September
22, 2004. (Xinhua) |
The Athens Paralympics
weathered its first doping scandal, while juggernaut China continued to dominate the
competition, racking up nearly twice as many as second-place Britain over
the first four days of competition.
Azerbaijani weightlifter Goundouz Ismayilov, competing in the men's
under-90 kg class, had already been stripped of a gold medal due to doping
at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000, and thus was banned for life.
His teammate Sara Abbasova, who lifts in the under-82.5 kg class, was
also a repeat offender and suffered the same fate.
Eleven athletes tested positive at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000 -
more than at the able-bodied Games that year - forcing the International
Paralympics Committee (IPC) to tighten doping controls.
"The positive tests show that the doping tests we are carrying out
work," IPC spokeswoman Miriam Wilkens said Wednesday.
China meanwhile continued to collect medals Wednesday, notably a bronze
in the men's javelin throw for
athletes with normal upper body function but no use of the legs. But
traditional Paralympics powerhouses also scored, especially Australia,
with four medals in cycling and one in the men's Pentathalon.
 France has climbed up the medals ladder day by day and is now in
third place, with Australia and Ukraine just behind.
A high point of competition thus far came in the much anticipated 200
T44 meter men's dash for below-knee single amputees, when South Africa's 17-year-old
Oscar Pistorious became the first amputee to break the 22 second barrier
with a time of 21.97.
His accomplishment was all the more spectacular because one of two
Americans, Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure, were favored to win the race.
They finished second and third respectively, clocking times of 22.67 and
22.83.
As of midday Wednesday, China had 21 gold medals and 62 overall,
Britain had 15 gold and 37 overall, and both France and Australia had ten
gold and 34 overall.
Nearly 4000 disabled athletes are competing in the Paralympics, which
runs through September 28 and features 19 sports, including athletics,
swimming and wheelchair basketball.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-23 15:00