Chen Xinyi of China, who was just .09 from the 100 butterfly podium earlier this week in Rio, will now await the final decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after she’s accepted a provisional suspension. This means that Chen will no longer compete in these Games while serving her temporary suspension.
News broke out late last night that Chen had failed a doping test earlier this week. This morning, we reported that a Chinese state-run news agency confirmed Chen’s positive test for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic.
Chen, one of China‘s top sprinters at these Games, was absent from her lane during the 50 free prelims this morning. With this new information from CAS, in full below, it’s clear that Chen was abiding by her provisional suspension and sat out of the 50 free prelims.
The CAS states that they plan to finish their investigation and proceedings of Chen’s case promptly, and that they will make their final decision before the conclusion of these Olympic Games.
CAS RELEASE
Xinyi Chen (swimming, 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle, China), positive test with hydrochlorothiazide (specified substance); order on request for a provisional suspension; the athlete accepted a provisional suspension on a voluntary basis; as a consequence, the athlete is provisionally suspended from competing at the Olympic Games Rio 2016; the procedure will continue and the CAS ADD will issue a final award before the end of the Games.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the CAS is in charge of doping-related matters arising on the occasion of the Games as a first-instance authority. This new structure handles doping cases referred to it in accordance with the IOC Anti-Doping Rules. The CAS ADD adjudicates on these cases after hearing the parties concerned. It may also impose provisional suspensions pending the conclusion of the procedure. Final decisions rendered by the CAS ADD may be appealed before the CAS ad hoc Division in Rio or before the CAS in Lausanne after the end of the Olympic Games.