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Olympic host Beijing has set up a sex determination lab to test female Olympic athletes suspected to be males, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.

Experts at the lab, located at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, will evaluate dubious cases based on their external appearance and take blood samples testing sex hormones, genes and chromosomes, Xinhua news agency said.

Sex testing has been routine at the Olympics and other sports events for decades, triggered by fears that male athletes sought to cheat by posing as women.

Indian athlete Santhi Soundarajan was stripped of an Asian Games silver medal in 2006 after failing a gender verification test.

The Olympic village, which will house 16 000 athletes and officials during next month's Beijing Games, was officially opened by mayor Chen Zhili at the weekend.

Chen, a senior Communist Party official, was handed the key to the heavily-guarded compound by Beijing Olympic chief Liu Qi during a ceremony held under skies still grey with the pollution that China has promised to clear in time for the Games, which start on August 8.

China was the first delegation to take residence by raising its flag at the village, with NBA All-Star Yao Ming and high hurdles world champion Liu Xiang among the hundred or so athletes present to witness the event. The 42 newly-built apartment blocks can house 17 000 people. - Sapa-AP