Top Chinese athlete claims abuse by coach

ONE of China’s top women distance runners, Sun Yingjie, has accused her coach of whipping her with a belt and subjecting her to other forms of physical abuse for a decade.

Sun, the 5,000m bronze medallist at the 2003 World Championships who is currently serving a two-year ban for doping, said coach Wang Dexian subjected her to frequent beatings.

“My back is covered with so many cuts and bruises that I cannot even take off my clothes,” she said in a TV interview.