Former Olympic Swimming Champion Apologizes For Doping Ban

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan has offered an impassioned public apology, a few days
after he received a doping ban of 18 months from FINA, the world governing body of
swimming, for failing a doping test.
The swimmer expressly took complete responsibility for at least putting himself in an awkward
position that allowed this situation to happen. Park stated he felt something must have been
wrong when he first learned of the test result and added but then he realized that he should have
been more careful. The South Korean swimmer said he thinks it is his fault regardless of reasons
or processes that things have come to this point. Park Tae-hwan remarked he is sorry for having
disappointed his fans and the South Korean people and added that he would like to apologize to
the people for causing so much trouble with this unacceptable incident.
In a press conference at the Jamsil Tourist Hotel in Seoul, Park Tae-hwan in trembling voice said
all of his honors over the past 10 years have come to nothing and added that all of his efforts just
made him a junkie. The swimmer, popularly known as the Marine Boy, said since doping is
something he has been aware of every day since the 2004 Olympics and added he could neither
believe nor accept that this had happened. He went on to remark that aside from the question of
intentionality, the very fact that an athlete who represents his country has caused a scandal is
shameful and he deeply regrets what he had done.
It was previously claimed by the agency of Park that the positive drug test was due to an
injection administered by a local hospital that provided him free chiropractic and other
treatments in July.

The former Olympic swimming champion, who won the only ever swimming gold for South
Korea in the 400 meters freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Games, tested positive for Testosterone in
an out-of-competition drug test on September 3. The 18-month doping ban began retroactively
the day of the positive test in early September and will expire on March 2, 2016. The results of
Park after September 3, 2014 have been annulled and he would return the three bronze medals he
won at last years Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

The Olympic body of South Korea is presently contemplating easing its eligibility rules for
athletes entering international competitions that would allow Park Tae-hwan a chance at
qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Under present anti-doping rules of the country,
any athlete suspended for doping is barred from competing with the national team for a period of
three years.
In another development, FINA announced that it collected 1,121 doping samples in the year 2014
including the one that caught Park Tae-hwan. FINA said 894 were Unannounced Out-ofCompetition, while 773 were In Competition and these anti-doping tests were in addition to
those conducted by other organizations with anti-doping rules, including national Anti-Doping
organizations, and the NCAA.
World Record holder Sun Yang, who tested positive for a banned substance in 2014, was tested
only three times by FINA while Americans Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps each underwent 4
tests. Yang was banned by the China Anti-Doping Agency after he tested positive for a banned
stimulant Trimetazidine. In 2012, Sun Yang became the first Chinese male swimmer to win
Olympic gold when took gold in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle events at London 2012.