South Korean Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan met with members of the Korean Swimming Federation and the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) over the weekend to discuss strategies to help Park avoid a doping ban that could cost him his eligibility for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The Korea Times reports that the meeting took place last Friday, January 30th. Park failed a drug test last year and will face a FINA hearing later this month with a possible suspension looming.
Park is Korea’s top swimmer and far and away its best shot at an Olympic medal in the sport. The Korean Olympic Committee and national swimming federation are reportedly working to help Park avoid a suspension, because a suspension of any kind might leave Park ineligible for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Inside the Games reports on KOC rules, saying that “any athlete who tests positive for banned drugs is not allowed to represent the national team for three years, starting on the day the suspension ends.” That would mean any ban on Park imposed at this point would disqualify him from representing South Korea at the 2016 Olympics.
Park claims he received an injection from a chiropractor that caused him to fail the test, despite Park repeatedly asking the chiropractor if it contained any banned substances. The injection was a product called Nebido, a testosterone boost used to treat men with testosterone deficiency. According to The Korea Times, Park has filed a lawsuit against the clinic that injected him.
Park will face a tough road to escape a ban of any length. According to Inside the Games, Park must prove that he “bears no fault” in order to avoid sanctions.
Wowza. I am gobsmacked
one of my favorite swimmers he was one of the first swimmers i saw that proved that height can’t stop you from swimming fast i hope he innocent and i am sad to see this
If he receives anything more than a 3 month backdated ban as Sun yang did, I would be suing tha pants of fina. Fina have left themselves open to scuitiny by going way to easy on Yang.
Off topic..
Florent Manadou Interview about Rio 2016:
http://www.varmatin.com/sports/florent-manaudou-a-nice-le-50-cest-le-vrai-sprint.2027041.html
He says he thinks Gold on 100 free on Rio will be around 47,2 and thinks it is hard for him to reach that level.. and for now he is leaving this race.. focus is on 50 free.
Bobo might help translating this..
I really doubt 100 free in Rio will be won in 47.2, especially now that, thanks to NBC, they have to swim at 1 am (for men 100 free final).
The only one who can swim 47.2 is Magnussen, and I doubt it will take that fast.
Magnussen, is the only one RIGHT NOW.
We are more than a year from that final.A lot of things can happen.Zetao and McEvoy arent that far behind.
Come on. 1 am is prime time for the Aussie men. 🙂
Magnussen is the only one who can swim that RIGHT NOW. There are any number of factors that can fall into place that makes a swimmer be able to produce a 47.2 in the right conditions. I do feel that judging what information is available to us that Magnussen is the most physically talented 100m freestyler on the planet. We’ve known for 3 years that he has a 46 in him. However there are talents out there, especially guys who are very young that we know have the potential to put together such a race.
From Adrian and Agnel’s relay splits, we know that this is within their physical repertoire. We also know that McEvoy, Ning and Morozov, who… Read more »
So that makes Grant Hackett the 2007 world champ 400 m in the real world .. Grant has now been upgraded from bronze to silver to GOLD GOLD GOLD due to drug cheats .
Now we know how Park did that last lap of sub 26 . I remember scratching to believe that . I reckon Grant knew & both this & Melluoli being let back in for Beijing is the cause of grant’s inner turmoil.
What a difference it would have made for Hackett to have gone into Beijing as 400 world champ ( 1500 had crept back up from shoulder surgery by 2008 ) .
What to do with these people? Lance is still lying his head… Read more »
Lets apply your logic to University. A person cheats in his Masters program at an institution – are you saying he should lose his Bachelor’s degree?
What GR is implying is that he was also cheating back in 2007.
That is a very dangerous insinuation you’re making, Gina. As of right now, there is no evidence whatsoever that Park Taehwan was cheating in 2007. If we’re applying your logic, should the US have their 4x100MR gold from Irvine ’06 taken away, as Jess Hardy was on the team and later tested positive? What about the 4x100MR silvers from Montreal & Melbourne?
at the least USA should have handed back 2012 w4x100 medley gold as Hardy was in the prelims.
Hardy served a two year ban starting in 2008–and lost her spot on that Olympic team. She tested positive for Clenbuterol–the same thing Cielo tested positive for. Difference is Hardy served a two year suspension and no one came to her rescue in the name of national pride. She served her punishment even if the positive was caused by a tainted supplement. Cielo only received a two or four month slap on the wrist and Park’s NGB is looking to work some damage control magic before the 2016 Games for what I consider a much bigger doping violation. Apples to oranges.
I think she was banned for 2 years but served one year..
Hardy was banned in mid 2008 and back by mid 2009 faster than ever… eventhough it was a 2 year ban. What were you saying about the federation not being lenient? Read the actual Korea Times article, too – This “meet” is pure guess work.
Wait a second, now, GR. Are you not the one who said you saw before anyone else back in the day that Park could really be something, even if he was shorter than Phelps & Thorpe? Now you are saying he was a cheat already back in the day?
Yes I wanted to believe . The australian coaches at first were sceptical then they were sucked in . Later I always wondered why Park at his Oz base was the only successful mid distance man in the squad if they were doing the same program. What is more , he used to blast off the sprinters at NSW state champs in Early March every year. Like Sun at Miami , he was only there part of the year . these injections are long lasting , for older gents every 10 -12 weeks . For a young man they would be metabolised very quickly & need 5 month top ups.
Plenty of people in this world are liars & imo… Read more »
Some people who are bashing Park are also the ones that defend/”understand” swimmers like Mellouli or Cielo….
Can we say double standard/hypocrisy?
I’m not bashing .i’d accept an ‘ I was wrong.’ and an exit from the sport . He could make it much better if he outlined the extent of testosterone assistance & handed back his medals .
It is all over for Park . I don’t think bad of him or any other Korean North or South.
Good idea. Your thoughts are so wonderfully thought out. I love such educated answers, makes the world seem to be a better place to live. The North and South Korean part was by far the best. Can’t wait for more of your insight Ms. Gina
I once handled the defection papers for Nth Korean embassy staff . I thought of all that during the ‘the Interview ‘ hysteria . So I put a nice word in for them here on SwimSwam!
Doin my bit for peace man.
I wasn’t talking about you.
And I am bashing Park.
I agree with your proposal. He should retire and hand back his medals which were won when he was on dope.
If the proper process is followed and Park is exonerated then great, but when I read things like “South Korean Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan met with members of the Korean Swimming Federation and the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) over the weekend to discuss strategies to help Park avoid a doping ban that could cost him his eligibility for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.” it sort of sends up red flags.
The actual article being referenced points out, nothing has been said by insiders regarding the “meeting” – It was purely opinions of self-proclaimed “experts”.
Well lets keep in mind that the title of the article is simply that. An article with a title designed to draw you in and catch your attention. I think things are too soon and to little has been said in order for us to start passing judgment. And as far as claims being made that “you don’t go to a chiropractor to get injections”…it seems to me that if you do some research that chiropractors give injections frequently. Now it seems to be (at least here in America) a state-by state set of standards as to whether or not that violates the law of practicing medicine without a license. But that is here in America which means nothing when… Read more »
In the name for National pride or the stupid nationalism, forget about integrity and dignity. As long as you win a medal for your country. Shame.
How about Retirement?