Rebeca Gusmao To Be Banned for Two Years

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, January 12. ACCORDING to Swimming World international correspondent Alex Pussieldi on his Bestswimming.com.br blog, Rebeca Gusmao will have her two-year provisional ban affirmed next week.

The Brazilian Swimming Federation received a letter from FINA stating that Gusmao's B sample tested positive for testosterone during a Dec. 18 test at a lab in Quebec. Additionally, the results were forwarded to the FINA Doping Panel for a final decision.

This test should finalize Gusmao's case, which first came to light when FINA announced that the Brazilian tested positive during an out-of-competition test on July 13.

In previous reporting on Nov. 8 by Swimming World, we noted the following about the case:

"In his most recent blog, which Swimming World double-checked with Pussieldi the accuracy of an Internet translation, Pussieldi explains that all sorts of news is coming out about Gusmao's case from an official announcement by the Brazilian Swimming Federation.

First, the Federation claims that it sent all of the samples of Rebeca Gusmao obtained from the Pan American Games to Dr. Eduardo de Rose, who is the President of the Medical Commission of the Pan American Sports Organization (ODEPA). The doctor sent back word while all four samples were technically negative, some of them were diluted while de Rose also stated that one or more of these samples belonged to different donors.

Second, Pussieldi explained that Dr. Renata Castro, the Medical Director of the Brazilian Swimming Federation, has tendered her resignation. Specifically, Castro accompanied Gusmao each of her tests throughout the Pan American Games, but did not accompany her during her final test that came out positive. Gusmao's final test under the supervision of Gusmao came on July 12 at 11:40 p.m. The World Anti-Doping Agency, however, returned the very next day at 7:30 a.m. to test Gusmao, this time without Castro's presence. This final test is the one that came up positive and led to Gusmao's provisional suspension.

While no direct claim has been made that Castro aided Gusmao in dodging a positive test, there are plenty of dots for the reader to try to connect."

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