MOSCOW, Russia, September 16. RUSSIA was dealt another blow on the positive drug testing front today with the news that short course European champion Sergey Makov is out for two years after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.
Makov’s suspension for taking ostarine was announced today by FINA and goes back to the date of the drug test: Oct. 12, 2013, in this case. That means he won’t be able to compete for a chance to race at a home world championships next year. He had been provisionally suspended on January 24 pending the outcome of an appeal. Makov’s results in subsequent competitions will be voided, most prominently the gold medal and pending world record in the short course mixed 200 medley relay from the Moscow stop of last year’s World Cup. Incidentally, the drug test took place as a result of breaking the world record. Makov swam backstroke on Russia’s relay with Andrey Grechin (breaststroke), Daria Tcvetkova (butterfly) and Ekaterina Borovikova (freestyle).
Before last year’s record-setting swim, Makov had not been a prominent figure in Russia’s swimming scene, but that doesn’t lessen the blow inflicted on Russian swimming. This is the second high-profile doping ban this year, coming after Yulia Efimova’s 16-month ban. With Russia preparing to host the world championships in Kazan next summer, all eyes will be on Russia’s athletes in the coming months.
Makov had spent his time in provisional suspension trying to convince FINA that the ingestion of ostarine was not intentional, but he could not provide documentation or proof to back his claims, according to a FINA report.
Ostarine is a banned substance in the eyes of the World Anti-Doping Agency because its published effects are increased stamina and muscle fitness in its test subjects.