Swimmer's Daily

  • Russia’s titled swimmer, four-time world champion Yuliya Yefimova has admitted that she has tested positive for meldonium (sold under the brand name Mildronate) that was banned starting January 1, 2016. However, she used this medication for medical reasons, the athlete said on Monday on the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

    “The blood samples taken from me in Los Angeles in February tested positive for meldonium,” she said.

    According to her, she used mildronate last time when it was legal and allowed. “I took it for medical reasons after carefully studying the direction. Experts are currently trying to find out how meldonium traces could be found in the samples taken months after I completed the course,” she said.

    In Yefimova’s words, she did not receive notifications on meldonium ban from January 1 and will insist all accusations in doping use are lifted off her.

    “I have not received any notifications that meldonium will be included in the list of banned substances from 1 January 2016. Not even one. Neither from Russian nor from international organizations. Neither in the electronic form nor verbally,” Efimova told Rossiya 24 TV channel on Monday.

    “I categorically reject accusations of doping use. We are currently preparing for hearings of my case. We intend to insist on all accusations to be lifted and prove that I did not violate anti-doping rules,” Efimova added.

    The athlete noted that she continues training in hopes that she will be able to take part in 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil.

    Read Pro Russia News and see RG.RU

  • Putin criticized Russia’s sports officials during a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.

    He said they have failed to fullfill their responsibilities amid the doping scandal affecting several Russian athletes.

    The president urged officials to actively develop partnership with international organisations, primarily the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee.

  • Prince Harry meets swimmers preparing for the 2016 Invictus Games.

    With 50 days to go to the start of the Invictus Games 2016 in Orlando, Prince Harry today joined wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans at Aldershot Sports Centre.

    Prince Harry watched a speed training session in the pool, catching up with familiar faces from the 2014 Invictus Games as well as meeting new competitors who have all been spurred on by the inaugural games and are using sport as part of their recovery.

    The UK team heading to Orlando in May will is being delivered by a partnership comprising The Ministry of Defence, Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion. The Endeavour Fund has provided funding to support the UK Armed Forces team who will compete in Orlando and Jaguar Land Rover is sponsoring the UK team.

  • Learn the mysterious secret behind Jacob’s Well in Wimberly, Texas. Find out why some are weary of this spot that is visited by numerous people each year.

  • Metro pools gear up

  • The Gladstone Community Center hosted an Easter egg hunt in a swimming pool Saturday afternoon.

  • More than 1400 athletes from Europe, Asia and Africa were competing at the International Swim Meeting Berlin 2016, including stars like Laszlo Cseh, Jessica Fullalove and Luke Greenbank.

  • Athletes and millions of sports fans worldwide have demanded answers following the spate of doping and governance scandals which have sullied the sport recently, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said on 14 March. Wada president Craig Reedie also called on sponsors to help fund the fight against doping.

    Athletics was rocked last year when Russia was suspended from the sport after a Wada investigation revealed a state-sponsored doping programme and footballs governing body Fifa was shaken by the worst graft scandal in its history. Tennis was also hit last week when five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova revealed she had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.

    The publics confidence in sport was shattered in 2015 like never before, the public mood has soured, cynicism has prevailed and there is a general feeling that they’re all at it, Reedie told a Wada conference. We’ve seen criminal arrests of Fifa executives over corruption and bribery, systematic doping in Russia and serious anti-doping governance and failures at the international track and field governing body the IAAF. Tennis has been claimed by the effect of match-fixing at the highest level involving even some umpires and only last week faced doping charges on one of its biggest stars.

    Reedie also complained Wada was struggling for funding. If full-blown investigations are to become the norm, then we must of course seriously explore greater funding for our community, he said.

  • Spain and Mexico have been declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code after failing to meet a deadline for making required changes to their drugs testing procedures, it has been announced today

    Ukraine, declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at its Foundation Board meeting in Coloardo Springs last November, have had their compliance status restored, however.

    Spain and Mexico were among seven countries to be named on a compliance watch list by WADA at that November meeting.

    Greece, Brazil and France and two National Anti-Doping Agencies (NADO) representing Belgium all resolved their Code-related concerns by the deadline of midnight last night, WADA confirmed in a statement today.

    All now are considered to have rules fully compliant with the Code and will face no further sanctions.

    The other two, however, have not resolved their respective issues, and are therefore declared non-compliant with the Code.

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    Photo by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious