FINA Aims to Root Out Doping Cheats Before Olympics

(ATR) FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu says doping is a "war we will never win" as the federation ramps up its drug testing program in the run-up to Rio 2016.

A series of doping scandals involving swimmers from Russia and China have increased the scrutiny on swimming and FINA’s anti-doping system and raised fears for the Olympics.

Last week, FINA rejected an appeal by Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova to lift the provisional suspension handed down by the Russian Swimming Federation in March for failing a doping test for meldonium. It was the latest in a string of Russian doping cases. In March, British newspaper The Times alleged that doping positives involving six Chinese swimmers were covered up.

Two water polo players and two swimmers have so far failed tests for meldonium, according to Marculescu.

"I think it’s a war we will never win but it’s a battle we will win here and there for sure. We have cases and we are continuing to look at them," Marculescu told a media briefing at the SportAccord Convention in Lausanne. He spoke of "some doping cases" in China and referred to "another big issue is Russia".

"I don’t think today from what I know we are faced with systematic doping."

An unnamed independent expert involved in the Lance Armstrong case has been appointed to audit FINA’s anti-doping procedures. The cyclist was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after admitting to doping for years.

After several months of evaluation, the doping expert will report back to FINA’s Aug. 5 meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

Marculescu said it would reveal whether improvements were needed. "We are open to anything," he said.

In tandem with the anti-doping study, the consulting company run by former IOC director general Francois Carrard is reviewing the management and operations of FINA "to see how we are doing on governance and transparency". Carrard’s recommendations for change will go before the FINA Congress in 2017.

Marculescu said swimmers competing at the Rio Olympics will be tested between five and seven times in the buildup to the Games.

FINA is spending up to $2 million on anti-doping procedures in 2016, an increase on the $1-1.5 million normally spent on an annual basis, he confirmed.

"We continue to do our program as strongly as possible. We spend whatever money is necessary to spend and we apply our rules without any kind of limitation."

Marculescu said he doesn’t expect "any big [doping] stories" at the Olympics, "I hope not".

Commenting on the water quality for the Olympic marathon swimming events at Copacabana, he said analyses were being conducted every two or three weeks and current standards were up to international regulations.

Reported by Mark Bissonin Lausanne

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