Korotyshkin Named Head of Russian Swimming’s Anti-Doping Committee

London 2012 Olympic silver medalist Evgeny Korotyshkin has been named Head of the Russian Swimming Federation’s (RSF) Anti-Doping Committee following the first meeting of the RSF’s Supreme Advisory Board last week.

Korotyshkin, also the President of the Swimming Federation of Moscow, has long been an outspoken critic of the wide-spread doping problems that have persisted not only in his home country of Russia, but around the world, and in all sports.  Korotyshkin has been vocal about keeping sports clean for youth and amateur participants by encouraging the next generation of athletes to compete clean.

Korotyshkin and South Africa’s Chad le Clos tied for second behind Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, in the 100 meter butterfly at the London 2012 Olympic Games.  In winning the race Phelps successfully defended his Olympic titles from Athens 2004, when he out-touched fellow American Ian Crocker, and Beijing 2008 when he swam to gold in an amazing come-from-behind victory to out-touch Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by a narrow 1/100th of a second.  Cavic, who was also in the 100 fly final in London, finished just off the podium in a tie for 4th.

Since retiring from competition, Phelps has spent more time as an ambassador for clean sport, even testifying before the House Energy & Commerce Committee about the importance of keeping athletic competitions fair for all.  Despite the countless drug tests Phelps has passed over the years, Cavic took to Twitter to call into question the legitimacy of Phelps’s record, calling the timing of his increased advocacy “convenient.”  In the same Tweet, Cavic applauded Korotyshkin for his clean record and his participation in the blood passport movement, which is yet to gain significant traction within the sport.

Russia, which was almost banned entirely from competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, faced unprecedented scrutiny and punitive action following the McLaren Report published by WADA in 2015 which revealed a state-sponsored doping system involving athletes, coaches, doctors, and government officials.  Though Russia was allowed to enter some swimmers in Rio, the Russian athletics team was not allowed to compete at the Olympics and will remain suspended through the IAAF World Championships this summer in London.  Korotyshkin, the former world record holder in the 100 short course meter butterfly, retired from competition in early 2016, in spite of placing 5th in the 100 fly in the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.

https://twitter.com/Milorad_Cavic/status/840315694864580608