Australian Olympian Thomas Fraser-Holmes is back in the pool, completing a 12-month ban for having missed 3 random drug tests over a 12-month period. Officially cut-off from the Dolphins national team both financially and training-wise, Fraser-Holmes began training again alone in December 2017 after having taken 6 months off.
Per Olympic teammate Dan Smith‘s Instagram, TFH is now back to training at Griffith University under Michael Bohl. Both Smith and Holmes were squadmates at Miami under Denis Cotterell, but have since moved on after the elite portion of the club has dissolved.
“Welcome Back, Bro. I’m excited to be training partners again and really looking forward to seeing what your future holds,” is how Smith welcomed back the former national champion.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjt3CjoB43H/?hl=en&taken-by=dan_smith28
In interviews last year TFH accepted responsibility for having missed the tests, stating, “I’m not making excuses for this.” He was one of three Aussies who were caught up in the series of missed test violations, with Madeline Groves and Jarrod Poort representing the others. Groves was ultimately cleared while Poort was handed a one-year ban.
As TFH didn’t compete at this year’s Commonwealth Games due to his suspension, Australia’s Pan Pacific Championship Trials starting on June 30th will be the 26-year-old’s only shot at snagging a spot on his nation’s roster for the international event.
Good to see him back in the water where he belongs ….Best of luck to him …….
Hopefully he can strengthen the men’s 4×200 free some more