Texas A&M redshirt senior Boris Loncaric received a 4-month doping suspension from the Croatian Swimming Federation after a positive test for Methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant, at July’s Golden Bear Invitational. The ban took effect on July 2nd, the day of the positive test, and was expired at the beginning of November.
Loncaric figures to be a huge piece of the upcoming season after a redshirt season last year. In his junior season of 2009-2010, before redshirting last year, Loncaric placed 10th at the NCAA Championships in the 100 fly. He was also co-Big 12 Swimmer of the Year during both his sophomore and junior seasons.
The international suspension doesn’t seem to have affected his collegiate standing, as he’s participated in all of Texas A&M’s meets this season, including the Southwest Collegiate Plunge that took place before the suspension expired. The substance is the same that Brazilian star Fabiola Molina tested positive for this summer (for which she received only a two-month suspension from her federation, though that is facing appeal early next week).
We have reached out to the A&M program for comment shortly before posting, but have not yet received a response. We will update if one is received.
The full FINA release is below:
On July 2, 2011, a swimmer Boris Loncaric (CRO) was tested positive to the substance Methylhexaneamine (Class S.6 Stimulants) following a doping control test conducted with the occasion of the “Golden Bear” International Swimming Competition.
The Disciplinary Committee of the Croatian Swimming Federation imposed a sanction of 4 months’ ineligibility on the athlete which began on July 2, 2011.
While NCAA programs don’t have to honor non-NCAA positive drug tests, programs have sometimes honored the drug bans on their own whether it’s from an inherent sense of ethics or because they were shamed into extending that competition ban into college sports.
This isn’t the first kerfluffle on the matter. A few years back, the folks at Let’s Run were leading a public shaming campaign when Mississippi State still entered runner Steve Mullings into the NCAA track & field championships after the Jamaican national track federation had banned him from competition for two years because of a drug positive. (Mississippi State did end up scratching Mullins from the meet because of LR’s efforts, if memory serves me.)
two different organizations. From what I understand the NCAA can’t punish him because it happened at a FINA event. There was a UVA swimmer that this happened to in the early 2000’s.
Interesting,
Where are the NCAA compliance folks ?
Seems odd as they will severely punish student athletes for a receiving a free T-shirt and yet are silent on this one?
Oh well..perhaps there is a jurisdictional issue at hand.
Loncaric is a superp swimmer regardless.