- Michael Brinegar given 4 year ban
- He has been suspended for blood doping
- Brinegar vehemently denies any wrongdoing
Disappointment clouded the dreams of American swimmer Michael Brinegar as he was handed a four-year suspension for blood doping.
The 24-year-old, who competed in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle events at the Tokyo Olympics, will be unable to compete for a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympic team.
The trouble began with irregularities detected in Brinegar’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) between July and September 2022. USADA officials concluded these “highly abnormal blood values” were indicative of blood doping, a practice strictly prohibited in competitive swimming.
An initial arbitrator cleared Brinegar of the violation, but USADA refused to accept the decision. They appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest court in sports disputes. Ultimately, CAS sided with USADA, imposing the four-year ban.
Brinegar vehemently denies any wrongdoing. Taking to Instagram, he expressed his disappointment: “As an Olympian and the son of an Olympic swimmer whose US women’s team faced an East German team that was systematically doping, cheating is a betrayal of everything I have been taught and stand for.” He maintains his innocence, calling USADA’s accusations “utterly unfounded.”
This case adds another layer of complexity to the fight against doping in sports. It comes on the heels of USADA’s criticism of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance but were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
The situation raises questions about consistency and fairness in international anti-doping efforts.
With the Paris Olympics approaching, Brinegar’s dreams of competing for his country are shattered. Only time will tell if he can clear his name and return to the pool in the future.
