Olympian Junya Koga has been handed a four year ban by FINA, according to the new outlet Asahi (you can view the original report here). Swimming World originally reported that Koga was awaiting a decision from a FINA panel back in September.
The 31-year old backstroker had failed two drug tests back in March of 2018, which resulted in his removal from the Japanese National Team. Over the summer Koga had been seeking a reduction in the ban, testifying at a hearing in late August that his ingestion of the banned substance was not intentional. His request was rejected.
According to the report in Asahi, Koga intends to submit an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the ban overturned or reduced.
Koga has been a member of the Japanese National Team for nearly a decade, breaking out in 2009 at the FINA World Championships when he was World Champion in the men’s 100 backstroke. Koga has since medaled at both long course and short course World Championships in addition to medals at the Pan Pacific Championships and the Asian Games. Most recently, Koga was the silver medalist in the 50 backstroke at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.
Asahi contributed to this report.
The report is linked in Japanese for anyone who was looking to read it
What “banned substance”?