By Tom Degun

October 24 -The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the Vietnamese powerlifter Van Cong LE has been suspended for two years after an anti-doping rule violation earlier this year.

The Vietnamese star, who competed at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, returned an adverse analytical finding for Prednisone, Prednisolone and 20-OH Prednisoline - Class S9 Glucocorticosteroids - in a urine sample provided on July 25 during the IPC Powerlifting World Championships in Kuala Lumpur.

The substances are included in the 2010 prohibited list and consequently prohibited under the IPC Anti-Doping Code, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC).

An IPC statement said: "Van Cong LE will serve a two year suspension dating from when the violation took place, and all results obtained from this date will be disqualified, with all of the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

"Upon notification, Van Cong LE informed the IPC he did not have a therapeutic use exemption to explain the adverse analytical finding and that he accepted the anti-doping rule violation.

"It is each athlete's personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter his or her body.

"Furthermore, each athlete is responsible for any prohibited substances found in their bodily specimen, regardless of how it entered.

"As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code, the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels.

"The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent in the spirit of fair play, doping in sport for Paralympic athletes."

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