Dolphins Swim Club Banned by Swim Ontario Due to Cecil Russell Support

OAKVILLE, Ontario, Canada, May 31. THE Cecil Russell saga continues as his host club, the Dolphins Swim Club of Oakville, has been banned from competition by Swim Ontario for continuing to support the twice banned-for-life coach.

In an article by Kerry Gillespie of the Toronto Star, news broke tonight that Swim Ontario has “terminated the club's membership or allowing Russell to continue being involved…Dolphins members will have to join new clubs to compete at sanctioned events.”

The Star further reported that the decision came down from independent arbitrator Ed Ratushny, who detailed out Russell “used subterfuge to continue his involvement with the swim club despite the ban” including sharing a cell phone and email with his wife, Erin, who is the club's head coach. Ratushny also detailed that Russell continued his dishonest ways by trying to “falsify documents, altering emails and faking handwriting samples” as part of his involvement with the club.

This isn't surprising considering that Russell has been banned from the sport for life, twice, after being part of steroid and ecstasy rings. He also admitted to helping someone burn a dead body during a 1997 murder trial.

“This is someone who has a history of skirting the ban,” David de Vlieger, president of Swimming Canada, told the Star. “That's been known and found on multiple occasions. He doesn't seem to stop. Any chance he gets he continues to involve himself in the sport.”

Swimming Canada may look into extending Swim Ontario's ban of the Dolphin Swim Club further.

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