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After having his two-year anti-doping suspension lifted in August, Bosnia and Herzegovina swimmer Jovan Lekic has announced his verbal commitment to join coach Rick Bishop’s up-and-coming crew at LSU next fall for the 2023-24 season.
“I choose Louisiana State University because l find them to be a perfect fit for my academic and swimming career,” Lekic wrote. “Big thanks to all coaches from LSU ! 😃 Go Tigers !!!”
At last year’s European Junior Championships, Lekic became the first swimmer from Bosnia and Herzegovina to medal at the meet when he took silver in the 400-meter freestyle (3:50.79) and bronze in the 200 free (1:48.46).
Lekic twice tested positive for higenamine last summer, but the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on appeal that the banned substance was not listed on the label of a pre-workout supplement he consumed.
Higenamine is a substance found in a number of plants and is used in sports and weight loss dietary supplements sold in the U.S. It’s legal to use in food supplements in the UK, EU, USA, and Canada, and has roots in ancient Chinese medicine and modern traditional medicine. Like many Beta 2 agonists, the substance is banned by the World Anti-Doping Code.
CAS reduced his suspension from two years to six months effective last October, but the arbiter disqualified all of his results from June 26, 2021 to July 10, 2021. As a result, Lekic forfeited his two Euro Junior medals.
Lekic was also stripped of his four national records set at Euro Juniors in the 200 free (1:48.46), 400 free (3:50.79), 800 free (8:01.24), and 1500 free (15:17.83). He still holds a few national records in the LCM 200 butterfly (2:01.23), SCM 800 free (8:03.55), and SCM 1500 free (15:05.66).
Best LCM Times
- 200 free – 1:48.46*
- 400 free – 3:50.79*
- 800 free – 8:01.24*
- 1500 free – 15:17.83*
- 200 fly – 2:01.23
*results technically disqualified
Converted SCY Times
- 200 free – 1:34.43
- 500 free – 4:17.47
- 1000 free – 9:11.45
- 1650 free – 14:53.25
- 200 fly – 1:46.65
Lekic’s improvement across a three-month span last summer is remarkable. Four weeks after clocking a personal-best 15:38.83 at the Turkish Youth Junior and Open Nationals, he lowered his lifetime mark by 15 seconds. Five weeks later, he brought his best time down by another six seconds, where it stands at 15:17.83. Lekic dropped a whopping 21 seconds in just a few months.
At last season’s SEC Championships, Lekic’s best converted times would have placed him sixth in the A-final of 1650 free as well as the B-final of the 200 free and 500 free and C-final of the 200 fly. The only LSU swimmer who went faster than Lekic’s best converted times in any of those events at SECs was Olympic gold medalist Brooks Curry, who earned a runner-up finish in the 200 free.
The Tigers’ men’s squad placed 9th out of 10 teams in the SEC last season, but they ended on a high note when Curry brought home the program’s first individual national title since 1988. Momentum continued to build over the summer as Olympic gold medalist Maggie MacNeil and world junior record holder Jade Hannah both arrived in Baton Rouge via transfer.
Lekic isn’t the only international recruit slated to enroll at LSU next fall. The Tigers also picked up a verbal commitment from Croatian sprinter Jere Hribar, who won a silver medal in the 100 free (49.37) and a bronze in the 50 free (22.55) at World Juniors in August. Joining the European duo are Simon Casey and Max Eckerman for a total of four boys recruits so far. Like Lekic, Casey is a mid-distance freestyler while Eckerman is a breaststroke specialist.
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It is outrageous and unfair to honest athletes that the doping ban was shortened from 2 years to 6 months.
The athletes who were cheated at the Junior European Championships in Rome are still waiting for their medals!
Looks like LSU is rolling with the Eastern European swimmers. Great pick up and great opportunity hopefully for many new kids to come to swim and learn in America.
Am I not getting something why the downlikes