After receiving a provisional suspension last June, 24-year-old Rafaela Raurich was recently handed a four-year ban by the Brazilian Authority for Doping Control (ABCD)—the maximum allowed—for testing positive for six prohibited substances during the 2024 Brazilian Olympic Trials.
The length of the ban implies that she was unable to present a convincing accidental contamination claim to the tribunal that heard the case.
According to the report published on the ABCD website, her suspension will run from June 20, 2024, through June 19, 2028. You can view the full report here.
Notably, Brazil typically holds its Olympic Trials from late April to mid-May. While the dates and location for the 2028 Trials have not yet been announced, it appears unlikely that Raurich will be able to compete if the trend continues in 2028.
These are the six banned substances that Raurich tested positive for:
- Testosterone
- Epitestosterone
- 5a-Androstanodiol
- Etiocholanolone
- Androsterone
- 5b-Androstanediol
At the Brazilian Olympic Trials, representing the Curitibano team, she finished 6th in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:17.28—her best result of the meet. She also placed 18th in the 100 fly (1:02.10) and 27th in the 200 freestyle (2:07.97).
Raurich was a member of Nova Southeastern University’s NCAA Division II National Championship team during the 2023–2024 season. The team won the title by 25.5 points over runners-up Colorado Mesa. This marked the team’s second consecutive championship, with their first title won in 2023—prior to Raurich joining the roster.
There, she won the NCAA Division II titles in the 100-yard fly (53.16) and 200-yard fly (1:56.17), while also placing fifth in the 200-yard free (1:48.15) and 11th in the 100-yard free (50.46), earning a total of 60 individual points. She also contributed to the title-winning 800 free relay team, as well as the runner-up 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay squads.
While NCAA competition isn’t subject to World Anti-Doping Code rules (the NCAA has its own anti-doping policies, which have been criticized by WADA), Raurich did not appear on Nova Southeastern’s roster for this past season. She was listed as a sophomore in 2024 after transferring from Drury, where she swam in the 2021-22 season. At Drury in 2022, she finished 3rd in the 200 fly at the NCAA D2 Championships (1:58.98) while taking 14th in the 100 fly (54.90) and 20th in the 200 free (1:51.07).
Trust it was just contaminated pasta
EG needs to respect agency bans (they won’t). Otherwise the fallback option massively mitigates the risk of doping in clean comps
Testers became suspicious when she refused to come down from the ceiling.
damn ma is it that serious
How do u cheat and still swim 11 seconds slower in the 200 fly then someone half your age
Because without cheating she would have swum even slower.
How? It’s not like this was a surprise out-of-competition test. I thought most drug cheats at least understood by now at least how to avoid detection in competition.
Embarrassing. You can see her fake smile in the photo of her with the trophy. She isn’t happy. She is guilty. She knows she doesn’t deserve it.
Give the title to Colorado Mesa. Nova Southeastern should be punished for this.