IAAF to probe Chinese letter pointing to systematic doping by Ma

Ma Junren (C), veteran track coach of China's national team, is interviewed beside 17-year-old Sun Weiwei (L) from China after she won the Hong Kong marathon February 16, 2003. Sun, who said she would look forward to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, won the women's category in a time of two hours 38 minutes 55 seconds. REUTERS/Bobby Yip REUTERS BY - RTR1269X

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - World athletics body IAAF said on Friday it would investigate the authenticity of a letter signed by 10 Chinese athletes that says a Chinese Olympic coach ran a systematic doping programme up to the mid-1990s.

Signatories to the 21-year-old letter, published for the first time on private news portal Tencent Sports, included women's long-distance runner Wang Junxia, an Olympic champion and world record holder.