Two big stories have emerged on day one of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, one of which comes from inside the pool, and one of which does not.
The first day’s competition saw four Meet Records go down in six events, lending to what should be a very fast week of competition.
Not to be included in that fast swimming, however, was Thailand’s star swimmer Nuttapong Ketin, who has been forced to withdraw from the event after testing positive for a banned substance.
Nuttapong is a part of why Thailand led the medal count at the 2013 SEA Games (across all sports), as he was the champion of the 200 breaststroke.
Even without him, Thailand still won the 200 breaststroke thanks to Radomyos Matijiur, the country’s tally will falter without Nuttapong’s three medals from 2013 (bronze in the 200 IM, silver in the 400 IM, gold in the 200 breaststroke).
According to local news, Nuttapong tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol a month ago, and is in Singapore awaiting the results of a test on his B sample.
Clenbuterol has been a prolific substance of discussion in sport and specifically swimming over the last decade. It’s the substance that Jessica Hardy tested positive for in 2008 to keep her off of the 2008 Olympic Team, and the substance that former Chinese World Record holder Li Zhesi received a two-year ban for taking.
It’s also a substance that is frequently administered to livestock in China, which is believed to have led to several positive tests for athletes visiting that country for competition.
There I was thinking where he was after distinctly remember seeing his name in the list of swimmers