Cesar Cielo’s doping case continues to overshadow the preparations of other athletes a day before the opening of the world swimming championships.
Cielo’s case will be heard next Wednesday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), four days before the swimming portion of the championships open.
The worlds open with the women’s 3m synchro and men’s 1m springboard diving preliminaries today.
Swimming’s governing body FINA challenged a Brazilian federation decision to give Cielo and three teammates only a warning after he tested positive in May for furosemide, a banned diuretic, blaming it on a contaminated batch of a food supplement Cielo regularly used.
The CAS hearing will be held in Shanghai.
“We made the appeal because the information was incomplete,” FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said yesterday, indicating that Cielo’s explanation needs to be examined more thoroughly.
Cielo swept the signature sprinting events — the 50m and 100m freestyle — at the last worlds in Rome two years ago. He also took gold in the 50m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Cielo could face a ban of two years under World Anti-Doping Agency rules. If he’s banned for more than six months, the Brazilian could be excluded from defending his Olympic title at next year’s London Games under existing International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
Marculescu wouldn’t say what type of decision would satisfy FINA.
“It’s not about what we want. It’s a juridical issue that depends on the laws,” Marculescu said. “We just want what’s right.”
At the CAS hearing in Shanghai, Cielo will be represented by Los Angeles attorney Howard Jacobs, while FINA is flying in from Switzerland its lawyer specializing in doping cases, Jean-Pierre Morand.
Jacobs previously represented American swimmer Jessica Hardy in a similar case.
Hardy withdrew from the US team ahead of the Beijing Games and was later ordered to serve a one-year ban, despite the CAS accepting that she was not at fault for a contaminated dietary supplement.
Meanwhile, Brazilian swimming federation president Nunes Filho is staying silent.
“After the [decision] I’ll talk with the press,” Filho said. “Please respect that.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care