Following up on an earlier article written by Craig Lord of SwimVortex.com, banned Chinese Doctor Ba Zhen violated his banishment from the sport of swimming and FINA has not taken any additional action required by the World Anti-Doping Agency since the violation was first reported in November of last year.
Ba Zhen was banned because he administered a stimulant to Chinese Olympic Champion Sun Yang who tested positive for the stimulant trimetazidine on May 17, 2014 during Chinese Nationals. Sun was banned for three months and is now free to compete. Ba Zhen is still banned until May 17, 2015 and is not allowed to participate in any national capacity.
However, Lord picked up on reports from the Chinese media that Dr. Ba Zhen was on deck at the Asian Games, during his ineligibility, in direct violation of Rule: 10.10.1 and reported the violation to FINA.
The WADA Rules Are Very Clear
WADA Rule: 10.10.1 Prohibition Against Participation During Ineligibility
No Athlete or other Person who has been declared Ineligible may, during the period of Ineligibility, participate in any capacity in a Competition or activity (other than authorized anti-doping education or rehabilitation programs) authorized or organized by any Signatory, Signatory’s member organization, or a club or other member organization of a Signatory’s member organization, or in Competitions authorized or organized by any professional league or any international- or national-level Event organization.
By violating WADA Rule 10.10.1, the violator must start a new period of ineligibility:
10.10.2 Violation of the Prohibition of Participation During Ineligibility
Where an Athlete or other Person who has been declared Ineligible violates the prohibition against participation during Ineligibility described in Article 10.10.1, the results of such participation shall be Disqualified and the period of Ineligibility which was originally imposed shall start over again as of the date of the violation. The new period of Ineligibility may be reduced under Article 10.5.2 if the Athlete or other Person establishes he or she bears No Significant Fault or Negligence for violating the prohibition against participation. The determination of whether an Athlete or other Person has violated the prohibition against participation, and whether a reduction under Article 10.5.2 is appropriate, shall be made by the Anti-Doping Organization whose results management led to the imposition of the initial period of Ineligibility
We Encourage Organizations Like United States Swimming To Ask FINA Questions Similar To The Following:
1. Why did FINA not first report Sun being banned until after he served his suspension?
2. Why is FINA looking the other way when it comes to the Chinese Swimming Federation and not further penalizing the banned doctor?
3. How seriously is FINA adhering to the WADA rules that they must follow?
Coaches and athletes have been hammering FINA with accountability questions since January and this current issue appears to be further antagonizing the swimming community.
Other FINA Stories In The News
FINA Finances Questioned; Call For Athletes To Unionize
Strong Words From World Swim Coaches To FINA
FINA Ending Presidential Age Limits Amidst Vocal Disagreement
FINA “Bribes” Athletes To Attend Open Water Event In Hallowed Waters of Fran Crippen
Swimming Community Finds FINA’s UAE Open Water Decision “Disgusting”
Guadalajara Cancels As Host Of 2017 World Championships; FINA Financial Demands Too High
Shocking: FINA Executive Director “Did Not See” Documentary on Russia Doping Scandal
FINA: A Failure in Stewardship
John Leonard Calls Out FINA Executive Director Asking For Updates on Russia Doping Scandal
Call To Relocate FINA 2015 World Championships Away From Kazan; Russian Doping Transcipts Released
This is obvious, why is there no punishment from FINA?
Interesting to show the applicable rules, but where there are rules, there’s a judge to control right application of the Rules to whatever case it is. whithout judgement, then its a Nazi system! The Sun Yang case is quite borderline and I’d think they took that into account, thus their not harrassing Sun Yang’s team.
If this is true we have to ask why and what kind of payoff FINA is getting.