A pair of Turkish swimmers have been hit with two-year doping suspensions after positive tests at the Turkish National Championships in July.
Abdulhalim Lafci and Duygu Birol have both tested positive for separate substances at the same meet, and will be suspended for two years beginning August 14th, 2013.
Lafci’s test was positive for Metenolone, which is classified as an Exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroid by the World Anti Doping Code.
On the date from which his test came back positive, Lafci swam the 200 fly, where he took the bronze medal in 2:06.70 in long course. His best events are the butterflies, where he’s been 55.1 and 2:03.5 in long course. Lafci is 26 years old.
This is the same substance for which a Belarusian shot putter was stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold medal for.
Duygu Birol tested positive on July 6th, 2013 at the same meet for Oxilofrine, which is classified as a “Specified Stimulant” by the World Anti-Doping Code. This is the same substance that track superstars Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell tested positive for also in July of 2013.
Birol swam a lifetime best in the women’s 200 breaststroke on the day of her positive test, going a 2:35.74, which won her the silver medal. She also took silver in the 100 breaststroke at that meet (1:12.86) and a bronze medal in the 400 IM (5:00.86)
Turkey has had horrible problems with doping in track & field in recent years- 31 athletes last year including a number of promising juniors and London Olympic 1500 metres champion Asli Çakır Alptekin is facing a lifetime doping ban right now. It’s sad but probably inevitable that the problems in one sport would bleed over into another like they also seem to have in Russia.