She may have not known about the presence of the substance in the drug or she was just not careful, thinking that there was sufficient leeway prior to the start of the competition.

Unfortunately, soon after taking the medicine, the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) asked Vietnam to send urine samples of its bodybuilders to Malaysia for testing and results showed that Linh tested positive for the banned substance.

The Vietnamese team now must remove Linh from the competing group, but the Vietnam Sports Administration has not decided on the scope of Linh’s punishment.

At minimum, Linh will be suspended for two years and must pay a US$2,000 fine as WBF rules stipulate.

Linh’s ejection is bad news for the athletic team, on the eve of a big event.

However, Vietnam still has hopes like Pham Van Mach who has previously won the Asian and World championships, and rising stars like Pham Tan Tai and Nguyen Van Lam.

“It’s hard to send young athletes, but it’s worth trying,” said coach Anh.

“We may steal some wins if our young representatives are confident.”

Reported by Quang Tuyen