FINA Creates Stringent Criteria for Russian Swimmers

(ATR) The International Aquatics Federation is making it difficult for Russian athletes to prove their eligibility for the Rio 2016 Olympics now less than two weeks away.

First, all Russian swimmers who participated at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia in July 2015 will have their doping samples retested to ensure no tampering had occurred as was demonstrated in the McLaren report published on July 18. The samples are being held at Spain’s Anti-Doping laboratory in Barcelona.

Secondly, any of the 18 swimmers identified in the McLaren report are automatically ineligible to participate in the Olympics. The Russian Olympic Committee is also not allowed to enter any swimmers who have previously been sanctioned for doping violations.

Any other Russian swimmers hoping to compete in Rio are now subject to an investigation of their past doping exams conducted outside of Russia. The FINA Doping Control Review Board will then determine whether the athlete’s testing history is reliable.

FINA has already identified seven Russian swimmers who will not be competing at Rio: Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Yulia Efimova, Natalia Lovtcova, Anastasia Krapivina, Nikita Lobintsev, Vladimir Morozov and Daria Ustinova.

Dovgalyuk, Efimova, Lovtcova and Krapivina were all withdrawn from entry by the ROC for previous doping violations. Efimova’s agent Andrew Mitkov told Russian media that Efimova will now appeal this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Lobintsev, Morozov and Ustinova are ineligible due to their implication in the McLaren report.

FINA laid out its strict conditions under which Russian swimmers may compete at the upcoming Games following the decision of the International Olympic Committee on July 24 to allow each International Federation to decide whether its Russian athletes are allowed to compete in Brazil.

The aquatics federation now has just 12 days to determine the eligibility of its Russian athletes before the Rio Olympics begin on Aug. 5. The Games will conclude on Aug. 21.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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