While not as high profile as Olympic champion Sun Yang’s return from suspension last August, André Luiz Calvelo de Souza made his return to swimming competition last weekend at a Regional meet in Santos.
A sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist, Calvelo, 24, competed in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle in Santos. He clocked 22.99 in the former and 49.57 in the latter. He holds official lifetime bests of 22.22/48.74 in the sprint freestyle events from the 2019 Maria Lenk Trophy.
Calvelo received a maximum four-year ban in July 2021 after testing positive for drostanolone propionate on March 18, 2021, during a training camp before the Brazilian Olympic Trials for the Tokyo Games. The drug is an injectable steroid commonly known under the brand name Masteron. It is popular among bodybuilding and strength sports for its muscle hardening, fat-burning, and anti-estrogenic properties.
Calvelo won the men’s 100 freestyle at the 2021 Brazilian Olympic Trials in 48.15 before his positive test came to light. His result was stripped and he did not compete at the Tokyo Games.
Best Swimming’s Alex Pussieldi first reported Calvelo’s expected return at the Santos Regional meet last month. This competition happened the same weekend as the 2025 Maria Lenk Trophy in Rio de Janeiro, where Gui Caribe fired off a world-leading 47.10 in the 100 freestyle. As his suspension expired April 21, Calvelo did not have the qualifying times to attend that competition.
Pussieldi reported Calvelo trained alone during his suspension, but was able to resume training with Mauricio Ruiz and the Internacional Regatas de Santos—who he represented at the meet—on March 1. The type of suspension Calvelo received allows athletes to resume training with a club 60 days before their suspension’s expiration.
Off topic.
On the last day of Maria lenk Caribe went 22,95 50 fly