FINA Releases Statement Explaining Kylie Palmer Drug Testing Process; Hmmm

Photo Courtesy: Peter H.Bick

Australian distance freestyler Kylie Palmer will no longer be participating at Worlds later this summer due to a suspension under the FINA Doping Control Rules. She has voluntarily accepted the suspension until the investigation is complete.

Palmer is a 2008 Olympic champion and a 2013 World Championship silver medalist. The results of the investigation may effect her World Championship medal, as well as those of her relay teammates.

Swimming Australia and Palmer’s statements on the matter can be found here. Palmer will still make an effort to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio once the FINA proceedings are complete.

FINA has now released their own statement describing the process that took place between July 21, 2013 and June 16, 2015.

FINA Statement

On July 31, 2013, FINA conducted an in-competition doping control test on Ms Kylie Palmer, a member of the Australian National Team with the occasion of the FINA World Championships held in Barcelona (ESP). The sample provided by the athlete showed low levels of a prohibited substance.

As per the FINA Doping Control Rule 7.1.2, this matter was forwarded to the FINA Doping Control Review Board (DCRB) for their review and recommendations on August 3, 2013.

During its review, the FINA DCRB noted that on August 1, 2013 a random sample was obtained from the same competitor within 24 hours of the index test (July 31 2013). The competitor had earlier undergone blood testing on July 25 2013, a further blood test was performed on August 1, 2013. All those tests proved negative.

Consequently, the FINA DCRB sought additional information from the laboratory on the index test. The FINA DCRB also recommended FINA to conduct two further target testings on the swimmer. All those additional tests proved negative.

In January 2014, the FINA DCRB recommended to FINA that no further action is needed to be taken in the matter of Ms Kylie Palmer as the details of this case were carefully considered by the members of the FINA DCRB who expressed concerns about proceeding with the case given the low levels of the prohibited substance detected, the absence of this substance in a subsequent test, the absence of any other prohibited substance in the samples.

In February 2015, the World Anti-Doping Agenecy (WADA) requested FINA for some information on the matter of Ms Kylie Palmer. FINA provided to WADA all the requested documents in this case.

Following review of those documents, WADA decided to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration of Sport in Lausanne (SUI) and requested CAS to order FINA to bring forward the July 31, 2013 findings as an anti-doping rule violation in accordance with DC 7.1.3 et seq.

Following WADA’s confirmation, on April 13, 2015 FINA sent correspondence to Ms Kylie Palmer and to Swimming Australia notifying about the positive test from Barcelona. The athlete requested the B sample analysis which also showed low levels of the prohibited substance. In accordance with the FINA DC Rules the matter of Ms Kylie Palmer has been forwarded to the FINA Doping Panel for further considerations and final decision.

On June 16, 2015, Ms Palmer informed FINA that she accepted voluntary Provisional Suspension and that she will refrain from competing pending the final resolution of this matter.

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8 Comments

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Fairouz Frik

8 years ago

Amel Bella <3

Amel Bella

8 years ago

Reply to Fairouz Frik

ça me manque :'( le retour dans pas longtemps =D

George W. Serbia

8 years ago

What is the “prohibited substance”?

Swimming World

8 years ago

Reply to George W. Serbia

They haven’t released it, and probably won’t until the legal process is complete.

George W. Serbia

8 years ago

Reply to George W. Serbia

Then how the hell do you respond to the charge if you don’t even know what you’re being accused of? Shouldn’t they wait until the legal process is complete before trashing an athlete’s reputation?

Swimming World

8 years ago

Reply to George W. Serbia

With Kylie accepting a provisional suspension and withdrawing from Worlds while the A and B sample positives work their way through the appeal process, it would have been strange of them not to explain that she was on a provisional suspension.

So, they announced it without stating a specific substance for some reason. Almost all other provisional bans we’ve reported have always listed the substance.

Clive Rushton

8 years ago

Very weird.

Kate Hauck

8 years ago

Bit rough – FINA was happy but WADA wasn’t?