Park Tae Hwan Ruled Eligible for 2016 Rio Olympics

Hannah Hecht contributed to this report.

Just two days ago, we reported that South Korea‘s Park Tae Hwan filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) and the Korean Swimming Federation (KSF).

Allkpop.com reports that the CAS has ruled in favor of Park, and he will be eligible to compete in Rio this summer.

According to Yonhap News, the CAS’ verdict said that Park “has no reason for being disqualified based on Article 5 of the Korea Swimming Federation’s rule on the selection of national team swimmer.”

The Korean Sport Olympic Committee initially barred him from competing in the 2016 Olympic Games, even though his 18-month suspension for a positive doping test in 2014 has expired.

The appeal involved a KSOC rule that forbids athletes from competing for any national team for 3 years after a doping suspension. CAS has overruled that, arguing that there is no reason for Park to be ineligible for the Olympics.

Park is ranked 6th in the world in the 400 free (3:44.26) and 13th in the 200 free (1:46.31).

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Q-tip
7 years ago

Lets just have a seperate heat for people who have been caught doping. Once your caught you can only ever compete in that specific heat and never in an A final. But you do get a medal though just like a little plastic one from dollar tree that says nice job with the olympic rings drawn in with sharpie

northern light
Reply to  Q-tip
7 years ago

Love that idea!!! Something to show the kids if they live that long.

Joel Lin
7 years ago

Maybe the best thing for this sport will be if Park and Yefimova make the podium in Rio. Heck, let’s see a WR in the 400 out of Sun followed by the podium ceremony followed by him getting popped 2 days later like Ben Johnson in 1988. The outrage would be searing and that can be a meaningful point zero to make sure it never happens again. What Park did, and then later denied and schemed to have the doctor take a dive for him, merited a 4 year ban. What Sun did merited a 2-4 year ban. What Yefimova did, AGAIN, merits a lifetime ban considering it is a second offense.

So why the kid gloves on Park… Read more »

Bevo
7 years ago

The system is totally rigged! Sad!

Billabong
7 years ago

Unfortunately, this is not a surprise. Let’s just ignore him when he come 6th.

Stay Human
7 years ago

There are so many dopers going to the Olympics that I’m starting to lose track of them all, and that’s too bad for the clean athletes. 🙁

Dan
7 years ago

This does not mean that S. Korea has to send him, only that their initial argument for not sending him is invalid. Might be hard for S. Korea to not send him now. Each countries sports comity nominates athletes to their OC who have the option to nominate athletes and then those has to be approved IOC (by this point it is very likely to get an OK to participate in the Olympics.

CJ777CJ
Reply to  Dan
7 years ago

Next option for KSOC would be to take it to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, but usually they won’t interfere unless it’s financial and will send in back to the CAS again. Stall for time… the Osaka rule was ruled out I think in 2012 by the IOC. It is supposed to depend on whether it was a specified/unspecified substance, case by case, strict liability, could have easily gone the other way.

Murica
7 years ago

Im gonna start doping my 10 year olds. They wont get caught until 14 ish, serve a 2 year and we can just train, if theyre not ready for the big stage after that we can dope em up again, serve another ban (probably get out of it tho, im pretty good at talking myself out of stuff) and then worst case we get out of that 2nd ban when theyre about 18 or 19 which is perfect time to qualify for the olympics!!!! Love the work WADA, FINA, and CAS is doing for cheat scumbags like myself. Keep it up!

Ozgurl
7 years ago

Swam a 3:49.18 in the 400m free at the Australian Grand Prix to finish 3rd behind David McKeown & Dan Smith

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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