PHOENIX, Arizona, August 25. ALBERT Subirats won his appeal to have his one-year doping suspension lifted, which means the Venezuelan will be able to compete at the Pan American Games in October, as well as next year's Olympic Games.
Subirats, who many will know as a three-time individual NCAA champion, was not present for three out-of-competition drug tests, and as such was given the suspension. Subirats' appeal was based on evidence that the Venezuelan swimming federation did not forward Subirats' whereabouts to FINA for drug testing purposes, though the rules state that the athlete, not the swimming federation, is responsible for alerting FINA to their schedules. While under appeal, Subirats was not able to compete at the world championships, where he would have been a likely finalist in the sprint butterfly events. Subirats won bronze in the 100 fly at the 2007 world championships and was the gold medalist at last December's short course worlds in the 50 fly and silver medalist in the 100 fly.
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