China Ejects Olympic Champ for Punching Coach

China's most decorated Winter Olympic medalist has been kicked off her team and disqualified from competing after she punched her team manager. When 26-year-old Wang Meng was chastised for a late return to training camp after a night of drinking, the short track speed skater and teammate Liu Xianwei "pursued and attacked the team manager and assistant coach and people who tried to intervene," say Chinese sports officials. "In the process, they damaged hotel property and harmed themselves."

That resulted in a visit to the hospital, after which Wang and Liu "even went so far as to disturb their resting teammates," the official statement continued. "The incident is of great severity ... tarnishing the image of an Olympic champion, the image of China's short track speed skating team, and the image of Chinese athletes." Liu was also ejected from the team, reports state news, and those who were drinking with Wang were asked to write “self-criticisms,” Reuters reports. It’s not the first time Wang—who has won four Olympic golds—has been thrown off the team; in 2007, she was dropped for slamming her coach’s strategy. (More China stories.)