Brazilian swimmer banned for two years

Flavia Delaroli of Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, June 28 (IANS) Brazilian swimmer Glauber Silva has been banned for two years and stripped of his place at the London Olympics for doping.

Silva, who last month qualified for the 100m butterfly event in London, tested positive to excess levels of testosterone during Brazil’s Olympic swimming trials in April, Xinhua reports.

He was handed the sentence by Brazil’s swimming confederation (CBDA) Wednesday after being found guilty by a doping panel.

The CBDA also announced suspensions to swimmers Flavia Delaroli and Pamela Alencar.

Delaroli was handed a three-month ban for using tuaminoheptane while Alencar was suspended for six months for testing positive for the diuretic furosemide.

Silva’s claim that increased levels of testosterone were caused by a hormonal imbalance were refuted by the panel, which said the results were consistent with steroid use.

The suspensions are the latest in a string of doping scandals to hit Brazilian swimming.

Last month, Barbara Benke was banned for four months after testing positive to isometheptene.

In 2011, four swimmers tested positive to furosemide, including defending Olympic 50m freestyle champion Cesar Cielo, who was later cleared.