RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian breaststroker Joao Gomes Jr., a three-time world champion at the 2014 Doha World Championships in relay duty, tested positive for a diuretic as part of a urine sample taken during that meet according to SporTV.
SporTV reports that Gomes Jr. tested positive for a diuretic during the meet, but only swam during prelims in each of Brazil’s world-title winning relays. Gomes Jr. also finished eighth in the 50 breast and 23rd in the 100 breast in Doha.
“He received the news with indignation,” Gomes’ lawyer Marcelo Franklin told GloboEsporte.com. “He is eager to show that he is innocent, and I’m confident that I can prove it.”
The Brazilian Swimming Federation is working on a defense for Gomes Jr., with Gomes Jr. likely using the same defense of cross contamination that Cesar Cielo and a few other Brazilian swimmers used successfully to fight off positive tests in the past.
If FINA follows recent history, Brazil could lose all three of its gold medal swims. However, FINA also had a tough time making a positive test stick against Mads Glaesner as the Danish swimmer held onto his 2012 short course world title following a doping test appeal.
This is the seventh positive test for a diuretic for a Brazilian swimmer, and is the 31st positive test for Brazilian swimming overall in its history according to SporTV.