Swimming: US Olympic champion Dwyer retires after doping ban

American double Olympic champion Conor Dwyer on Friday said he was retiring from swimming on the day he was handed a 20-month doping ban that ruled him out of next year's Tokyo Olympics.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) earlier announced that an independent three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) determined the suspension after Dwyer was found to have had testosterone pellets inserted in his body.

Dwyer, 30, tested positive for an anabolic agent in three out-of-competition urine samples last November and December, USADA said in a news release.

"Following a full evidentiary hearing, the panel found that Dwyer had testosterone pellets inserted in his body in violation of the rules," USADA said.

Dwyer said he was following a doctor-prescribed medical treatment that he did not realize contained the banned substance testosterone and noted that the panel said in its report that he was not significantly at fault for the violation.

"My doctor assured me that the United States Olympic Committee had approved the treatment before I agreed to it," he said in a statement.

"Absent of these assurances, I never would have agreed to this medically necessary treatment.

"Regardless of the result of the arbitration ruling, I have decided to retire from swimming to pursue other professional interests.

"It was an honor to represent my country alongside my team mates and with the support of my coaches, family, and friends."

Dwyer was part of the US 4x200m freestyle teams that won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He also claimed bronze in the individual 200 freestyle at Rio in 2016.

USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: "As noted in the panel’s decision, USADA is independent of sport and here to help athletes ensure they compete clean and protect their health and well-being within the rules.

"It’s frustrating that Mr Dwyer did not take advantage of this support and hopefully this case will convince others to do so in order to protect fair and healthy competition for all athletes."

Dwyer’s 20-month ban began on Dec. 21 last year, the date of his provisional suspension.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

USADA wants blanket ban on Russian athletes in Rio

The United States and Canadian Anti-Doping Agencies want a complete ban on Russia competing at the Rio Olympics after next week's key report into allegations of state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics is published, according to a leaked draft letter seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Russia's track and field athletes are already banned from competing at next month's Olympics by the world governing International Association of Athletics' Federations (IAAF) over widespread doping in the sport.

In the draft letter addressed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which will be sent once the report into Sochi led by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren is presented on Monday, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart calls for a ban on all Russian athletes, not just in track and field.

"We write on behalf of a community of clean athletes and anti-doping organizations with faith that the IOC can lead the way forward by upholding the principles of Olympism," said the draft letter signed by Tygart and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES) CEO Paul Melia.

"Therefore, consistent with the Principles, Charter and Code we request that the IOC Executive Board take the action to suspend the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Committee from participating in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

"The only appropriate, and permissible, course of action in these unprecedented circumstances is for the IOC to immediately suspend the Russian Olympic and Paralympic Committees from the Olympic Movement.... and declare that no athlete can represent Russia at the Rio Olympic Games."

USADA and CCES were not immediately available to comment.

The draft letter has also been circulated to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Athlete Committee members by Canada's Beckie Scott, who chairs the committee, asking whether they agree to support it.

"The letter outlines a basis for suspension of the Russian NOC (National Olympic Committee) from Rio, in light of the evidence and information that will come as a result of this report, and aligns very much with the position we have taken so far in this (long) process," Scott wrote in an e-mail dated July 16.

"You will also note that it presents a caveat - much as with the IAAF decision - to permit athletes who have lived outside the regime, been subject to strict doing controls, etc, to still compete in Rio."

IOC President Thomas Bach said last month that individual Russian track and field athletes assessed as clean would be able to compete for their country in Brazil.

WADA set up an investigation under McLaren to the probe allegations of state-backed doping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Mayweather denies violation before Pacquiao bout

LAS VEGAS - The build-up to Saturday's welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Berto has been rocked by suggestions of a doping violation four months ago, an allegation flatly denied by Mayweather on Thursday.

According to a report by SB Nation, Mayweather allegedly received an intravenous injection of saline and vitamins, that was banned under World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines, on the eve of his megabout with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2.

However, Mayweather said in a statement that he "did not commit any violations" and he was fully supported by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) earlier on Thursday.

"As already confirmed by the USADA statement, I did not commit any violations of the Nevada or USADA drug testing guidelines," said Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao on a unanimous decision to improve his perfect record to 48-0.

"I follow and have always followed the rules of Nevada and USADA, the gold standard of drug testing.

"Let's not forget that I was the one six years ago who insisted on elevating the level of drug testing for all my fights. As a result, there is more drug testing and awareness of its importance in the sport of boxing today than ever before."

According to the SB Nation report, USADA collection agents visited Mayweather's house in Las Vegas the night before his May 2 fight to conduct an unannounced drug test and discovered that he had been given an IV for rehydration purposes.

LATE EXEMPTION FROM USADA

While the substances in the IV were not banned by WADA, the fact that they were given intravenously was not permitted, the report said, and Mayweather was only given a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE) by USADA 19 days later.

"We believe it is important to immediately correct the record regarding the false suggestion that Floyd Mayweather violated the rules by receiving an IV infusion of saline and vitamins," USADA said in a statement on Thursday.

"As was already publicly reported in May of this year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Mr. Mayweather applied for and was granted a TUE by USADA for an IV infusion of saline and vitamins that was administered prior to his May 2 fight.

"Mr. Mayweather's use of the IV was not prohibited under the NSAC rules at that time and would not be a violation of the NSAC rules today."

According to USADA, both the NSAC and Team Pacquiao were notified about the TUE after it was granted, "even though the practice is not prohibited under NSAC rules".

For the NSAC, the main issue here is creating a closer working relationship with USADA.

"In the state of Nevada, we are the only entity that is allowed to approve therapeutic use exemptions for any and all combatants," NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told Reuters.

"It's incumbent upon USADA and the Nevada State Athletic Commission to work hand in glove in an effort to combat performance-enhancing drugs in boxing, mixed martial arts, etc.

"Once we can have a better understanding of what USADA's position is on TUEs and ours, this media controversy will end. It adds no negative narrative on Floyd whatsoever. He has set the standard for all fighters (in combatting doping)."

Mayweather will put his unbeaten record on the line when he defends his WBC and WBA welterweight titles against fellow American Berto in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday. (Editing by Andrew Both)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Kellerman defends Pacquiao on injury

 

Analyst blames NSAC instead

Remenber Max Kellerman, whose post fight interview with Manny Pacquiao incensed the boxer’s loyal fans?

The HBO color commentator had just defended the Filipino champion over Pacquiao's injury, which has been dubbed “shouldergate” by some sports journalists.

In his analysis on HBO Sports, Kellerman asserted that Pacquiao didn’t commit fraud when he chose to fight on despite having a torn rotator cuff three weeks before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Kellerman said that with the injury, the Filipino was faced with a dilemma.

“A dilemma is not a tough choice. A dilemma is choice between two bad options. What was Manny Pacquiao supposed to do, when three weeks before the fight, he was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff that needed surgery? Was he supposed to postpone the fight, taking twelve months off in the interim?” he said in the HBO video posted by Boxing Videos Only on Facebook.

“Does coming back after shoulder surgery and a seventeen month ring absence give him a better chance to beat the best pound for pound fighter in the world? The tickets had already been sold, the hotel rooms had been booked, the airfare, etc…the eyes of the boxing world waiting six years to see this fight.”

Kellerman said that instead of vilifying the boxer, he should get praise for fighting despite the odds.

“What did Manny Pacquiao do? He manned-up,” said the analyst.

If there’s anyone to blame for the superfight flopping out, it should be the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Kellerman said, noting that the USADA has approved Pacquiao’s use of an anti-inflammatory drug, but the Commission has prevented this because of a “clerical error.”

“USADA says, ‘fine…a shot of Toradol is fine’. And then ultimately, at the eleventh hour, the Nevada State Athletic Commission says Pacquiao can’t get a shot of Toradol because of what is essentially a clerical error? Because some box wasn’t checked off and some form wasn’t filled out correctly?” said the analyst.

“If people are mad at anybody for Pacquiao not being at his best on May 2, be mad at the Nevada State Athletic Commission, in my view. Because just when the boxing world needed them to show sound judgment, they decided to stand on principle instead of cooperating with the spirit of the event.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com