Text of FINA statement
Posted: Thursday August 06, 1998 04:36 PM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - The full text of FINA's statement
announcing a four-year ban for Irish swimmer Michelle Smith:
"On January 10, 1998, the swimmer Mrs. Michelle Smith de Bruin
(Ireland) had to undergo an unannounced doping control in her home
in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the FINA out-of-competition Doping
Control Program. The sample was tested in the IOC-accredited
laboratory in Barcelona, Spain. On Jan. 30, 1998, the laboratory
informed FINA that:
"Unequivocal signs of adulteration have been found in sample
coded AO74396. The content of alcohol of the sample (concentration
higher than 100mg/ml) is in no way compatible with human
consumption and the sample shows a very strong whiskey odor. Its
low specific gravity (0.983 g/ml) is also compatible with a
physical manipulation."
The analysis of the B-sample was performed on May 21, 1998. The
results were in agreement with those found in the corresponding
A-sample.
A hearing before the FINA Doping Panel was held on July 24,
1998, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The swimmer attended the hearing
and she was represented by her lawyer. The swimmer stressed the
fact that no banned substance has been detected in her urine. She
asserts that from her side there was no phyical manipulation of the
sample.
The FINA Doping Panel found that: the urine was manipulated; the
urine had not been manipulated in the laboratory; the urine had not
been manipulated during transport; the urine had not been
manipulated by the collectors of the sample; the urine was
manipulated by the swimmer, the way of manipulation is uncertain.
This is a doping offense according to FINA Rules DC 1.2 (b)/DC
3.1 (b).
DECISION
The Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA doping
panel) has decided to suspend the swimmer for a period of four (4)
years from competing in any national or international competition.
Mrs. de Bruin is suspended for having committed a doping offence
under FINA Rule DC 1.2 (b) - "a competitor uses or takes advantage
of a banned procedure' and under FINA Rule DC 3.1 (b) - `use of
substances and methods which alter the integrity and validity or
urine samples used in doping."
The sanction shall be in force immediately from today, August 6,
1998, the date of this judgment.
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