2012 Olympic Bronze Medallist Andrey Grechin ‘To Make Comeback’ As Russia Announce Calendar

London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Andrey Grechin is set to return to the pool, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Grechin swam the lead-off as the Russian 4×100 free quartet came third at the Aquatics Centre behind gold medallists France – led home by Yannick Agnel in 46.74 – and a United States quartet of Nathan Adrian, Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Ryan Lochte.

Grechin also won 4×1 silver with Russia at the 2009 and 2015 World Championships as well as bronze in 2013 as well as claiming two golds and three silvers over four European Championships.

According to TASS, Grechin’s comeback was first reported on Match TV, three years after the now 32-year-old retired from the sport.

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A post shared by Andrey Grechin (@gdron)

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Quite what Grechin’s aspirations are is impossible to predict given the uncertainty following Russia’s four-year ban from international competition following the manipulation of data related to thousands of doping tests. Neither do we know when he returned to the testing pool.

The ban handed down late last year leaves the door open for individual Russian athletes to prove themselves innocent and compete under a neutral flag.

Those athletes who are not implicated in doping may compete at a second straight Olympic Games, after Rio 2016, in neutral uniforms and with no flag nor anthem to accompany any medals they may win.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is due to hear the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) appeal from November 2-5.

That comes just days after the Russian Championships which will be held from 25-31 October, the national swimming federation has announced.

That followed a meeting on 23 June of the Presidium of the All-Russian Swimming Federation at which the new edition of the 2020 sporting events calendar was approved – subject to all swimmers having been able to resume training by 1 August.

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