French swimmer Arnaud Lorgeril has been suspended for 8 months by the Disciplinary Panel of the French Swimming Federation beginning on April 9th, 2014 after a positive test for THC/Cannabis at December’s Swimming Championships in Martinique, a Caribbean Island that is an overseas region of France.
THC is the psychoactive portion of the cannabis plant, which is the better-known as marijuana.
Lorgeril is 36 years old, and his best swimming days are well behind him. His best times in long course include a 25.8 in the 50 freestyle, a 59.6 in the 100 backstroke, and a 2:10 in his 200 backstroke, all of which were swum over a decade ago. While in context, those were decent times in France for his era (he placed 12th in the 200 back at the 2001 French Open Championships), Lorgeril is now far from relevant in any international sense (outside of perhaps Masters swimming).
He is the 3rd announced ‘aquatics’ athlete to test positive for Cannabis in 2013; the other two, both water polo players were suspended for 6 months (Tudor Alexandru Dobre, Romania) and one year (Sammy Claes, Belgium). That puts Lorgeril’s result within that range for the year 2013.
However, looking back further, there is a much wider range of sanctions that have been handed out, including non-sanctions and warnings by Brazilian, Portuguese, and American Federations. The 8 month and 1-year suspensions given out in 2013 cases are on the longer end of the range.
Lorgeril currently represents the Ste-Marie Aquatique Club, which is a club located on a different overseas region of France: Reunion.
Marijuana and swimming… The old smoke n’ stroke.
My thoughts: http://replygif.net/i/199.gif
Absolutely idiotic. Dumb.
We need doping controls to ensure a level playing field. We don’t need to nanny every swimmer to ensure they are being upstanding role models.
So funny how it’s frowned upon. It doesn’t have any effect on swimming. Let em smoke
I wonder if they did “doping tests” on an open water master competition where just after getting of the water and while waiting for my ex to swim her race.. if they caught my beer at that moment I would be suspended.. ridiculous..
At least Arnaud Lorgeril is known now. 😆
I’ve typed out about 3 different rants. and I deleted them all. i’ll just say this is dumb.
Totally agree
It is performance enhancing for divers. Or at least the ones I knew thought so.
Bobo,
I want to see videos of Agnel and Muffat swimming at the French trials. Are they coming?
Both of those swimmers are always a joy to watch.
Sorry but there’s absolutely nothing so far!
I can find race videos from almost all over the world but of course not from my country!
and I thought that the Italian media coverage was bad! 😀
Braden, you mentioned Masters swimming. Do these bans cover master’s swimming, too? I seem to remember Gary Hall, Jr. getting busted for weed but I can’t remember if it was during his regular career or Masters.
LiquidGanja – that’s a loaded question. With Lance Armstrong, it did. FINA is a WADC signatory, and world Masters Swimming is a part of FINA, so technically, yes, it should be. However, they don’t test at Masters’ meets either.
In short: probably, but it’s only really been an issue pushed once in the Lance Armstrong case.
Braden – I believe he said “Gary Hall Jr.”, not Lance Armstrong. Gary Hall Jr. tested positive for cannabis in 1998, very much in the middle of his pro swimming career, and I believe got a 6 month suspension.
In theory, substance abuse is covered under masters swimming, but I know of nobody who has ever been drug tested at a masters swim meet (although they might if they set a record).