The Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) has revealed Wang Lizhuo and An Jiabao were among the six swimmers from the country to have failed drugs tests, announced by the governing body last week.

Zhao Ying has also tested positive for the substance, an anabolic steroid often used to burn fat, but has yet to receive his punishment.

The other three swimmers to have recently failed tests have not been named.

The coaches of Wang and An have both been fined ¥5000 (£537/$768/€686), the equivalent to the cost of five stimulant detection tests, according to a statement released by the CSA.

It also announced sanctions had been brought against those overseeing the athletes in the Navy's Swimming and Diving team as well as the Tianjin Swimming Association.

They have been ordered to pay the costs of 10 doping tests and have also been given warnings by the CSA.

Further sanctions could be brought against the athletes by the Chinese National Anti-Doping Agency in the near future, it has been reported.

The news comes after China became the subject of a fresh doping crisis following reports in British newspaper The Times, which claimed the country was covering up the results of failed drugs tests.

They also accused swimming coach Zhou Ming, banned for life in 1998 for involvement in a previous doping scheme in the sport in China, of working with swimmers in Tianjin.

An investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has subsequently been launched, while the International Swimming Federation (FINA) admitted some Chinese cases were currently being probed and vowed to leave “no stone unturned” if further action was needed.

Chinese swimming has a tumultuous history following a doping scandal in the 1990s after seven athletes returned positive tests at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima.

China’s women came from relative obscurity to win 12 of the 16 gold medals on offer at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, prompting further speculation of systemic doping within the team.

Four years later, another four Chinese swimmers failed pre-competition tests ahead of the 1998 World Championships in Australia.

The Asian country was subjected to further outcry when a routine check of a swimmer's bag at Sydney Airport before the event in Perth reportedly uncovered enough human growth hormone to supply the entire women’s team for the entirety of the competition.

Xue Yinxian, a doctor for the Chinese Olympic team, claimed in 2012 that doping in the country was also “rampant in the 1980s”.

Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang served a three month ban for failing a drugs test back in 2014.