FINA revealed a pair of new doping suspensions today, marking the first two that they have acknowledged of 2012, in the form of Brazilian open water swimmer Barbara Benke and another from Kazkhstan’s Yuliya Litvina. Both tests were performed in March, and both are especially disappointing as they come from young, promising talents.
Benke, who is one of Brazil’s best junior open water swimmers, tested positive for Isometheptene. This is a substance often used to treat migraines, because it is a vasoconstrictor; and in most cases is available over the counter. This is a bit of an odd substance and not one typically used to gain an advantage, as most athletes prefer vasodiolators that increase blood flow rather than those that reduce it. However, used over the long-term, vasodiolators can allow for artificial angiogenesis, or the development and growth of new blood vessels, which can provide an advantage especially to endurance athletes.
She received a 4 month ban, starting with her test date of March 11th, and was not expected to compete for an Olympic spot. In her latest swim, the third-leg of the Brazilian open water qualifying series, which nullifies her result. This is a huge blow, as it will remove her for her qualification to August’s World Junior Open Water Championships in Canada, where she was selected based on her second-place finish among 17-18 year olds at this race in Porto Belo.
Litvina, only 19, was also slapped with a suspension, this one coming for a positive test for Methylhexaneamine at March’s Kazakhstan National Championships.
This substance has become the primary culprit in most of the high-profile doping cases in swimming since federations around the world issued warnings about it in 2009 and 2010. It is the same substance that, among others, has nailed American Sean Mahoney, Czech two-time Olympian Michal Rubachek, and Brazilian Fabiola Molina, with nearly a dozen other aquatic athletes receiving sanctions for it in the last three years.
The push against the substance has been stepped-up this year; it’s still legal in the United States (not from a sporting perspective, but from a judiciary perspective) but all supplements containing it were pulled from the shelves earlier this year on military bases after two American soldiers that collapsed during physical training were found with the substance in their bodies (it’s still available at other vitamin stores). The investigation for a scientific link has not been concluded, but it is a precautionary measure taken by the military.
Litvina is the young superstar of Kazakhstan swimming, and has been since 2009 when she won the Youth Asian Games title in the 200 breaststroke. She’s also a veteran of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, where she was 14th in the 50 breaststroke
