Special Thanks to our Brazilian Correspondent D’artangan Dias for his continued help as more details unfold in this case.
In the newest breakthrough in the Cesar Cielo-Brazilian banned substance issue, swim.com.br is now reporting that FINA knew of Cielo’s positive test prior to the Paris Open, but FINA President Julio Maglione and CBDA President Coaracy Nunes decided that it was best to wait until after the meet to let the athletes know of the positive test.
The result of that test was not made known publicly until Friday, when the no-suspension was handed down, but this newest development indicates that FINA has already been well-versed in the matter at hand and has likely been a part of the investigation throughout. This seems to make it even less likely that FINA will overturn the CBDA ruling that it was accidental cross-contamination of a non-performance enhancing substance (and not in a quantity that would have masked any performance-enhancers).
This means that eyes will all be turned to Cielo’s sample from the Paris Open, where he says that he underwent a blood test. Expect the test to be expedited in order to resolve the matter before athletes begin to travel to Shanghai in about two weeks.
FINA still has not made any public releases on the matter, though one might be coming when they return to the office on Monday.
FINA, if you don’t take proper action, you will just open pandora box.
And if you don’t over rule CBDA, it will just set very bad precedent.
Next time another swimmer could just dope to the nose, take furosemide to mask it and blame it on the manufacturer for alleged cross contamination, and there will be nothing that FINA can do to defend in the civil court because of the precedent.