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Former World Swimming Champion Gerhard Zandberg has confirmed that he has retired from the sport, following the Swimming South Africa controversy after him ‘breaking team rules’ at the Barcelona 2013 World Championships.
Zandberg had asked to swap rooms to avoid catching a cold that his roommate Cameron van der Burgh had contracted, and receiving no response, Zandberg paid for his own room, which he shared with his girlfriend Linda.
For this he received a punishment of 50,000 Rand ($5,000) which was later reduced to 4,000 Rand ($500); a 2-year suspension from swimming; 1 year of community service; and an immediate scratch from all World Cup events.
This left him with two options: either appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, or retire. Waiting out a two-year suspension at his age would have been illogical.
Today…my swimming career has come to an end. @Joffersmyboy @JeanSmyth
— Gerhard Zandberg (@ZandbergGerhard) October 16, 2013
Image courtesy of Marceldaponte, CC BY-SA 3.0
