Chinese swimmer responds to doping claim

Ye Shiwen, the 16-year-old Chinese swimming sensation, has denied doping allegations...

Ye Shiwen, the 16-year-old Chinese swimming sensation, has denied doping allegations after she smashed a world record at the London Olympics.

Ye won the gold medal in the 400m individual medley in Saturday's astonishing race. She shaved at least five seconds from her own personal best and swam the last 50m quicker than the men's champion. 

While all winners are drug tested and there is no formal evidence against her, many have questioned the result with US coach John Leonard summing up her surprising performance as "disturbing".

The BBC's own Clare Balding stated that questions should be asked about the feat in a move that has angered some spectators.

However, Ye has responded to the claims with a flat out denial. The sporting sensation told the press: "My results come from hard work and training and I would never use any banned drugs. The Chinese people have clean hands."

But her words haven't provided enough reassurance for some. Leonard continued by citing East German female swimming team in the 80s who were doping systematically.

Leonard was quoted in the Guardian as saying: "History in our sport will tell you that every time we see something, and I will put quotation marks around this, unbelievable, history shows us that it turns out later on there was doping involved," he told the UK's Guardian newspaper."

The outspoken judge refused to let it down: "The final 100m was impossible. Flat out. If all her split times had been faster I don't think anybody would be calling it into question, because she is a good swimmer. But to swim three other splits at the rate that she did, which was quite ordinary for elite competition, and then unleash a historic anomaly, it is just not right."

And the Chinese themselves don't have a great track record with doping, as they were repeatedly hit with scandals in the 90s with seven swimmers testing positive in the 1994 Asian Games. Four years later, four more Chinese failed the tests before the world championships in Australia. 

The Xinhua news agency quoted IOC anti-doping chief Arne Ljungqvist who defended the young star in question. He said: "To suspect someone for having done something because they performed extraordinarily is a bit sad for Olympic sport." 

Next up for Ye is to race in the final of the 200m individual medley.

The leader board as of Tuesday July 31st is as follows: