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Sorry - this page has been removed. South Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan shocked by failed doping test
(4 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. The South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan, a 2008 Olympic champion, has been left shocked by a failed doping test according to his team, after a local hospital injected him with testosterone, local media have reported.
The Yonhap News agency quoted Seoul prosecutors as saying on Tuesday that the hospital had testified it gave Park the shot but did not realise it was against World Anti-Doping Agency regulations. The report said Park had already been questioned by prosecutors, and that the doctor who gave him the injection could face charges of negligence.
For further information, please contact: A double world champion, Park became the first South Korean to win an Olympic swimming medal when he powered to gold in the 400m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Games.
His wholesome, clean-cut image and poster-boy looks have made him one of the most celebrated athletes in South Korea, where he is known affectionately as “Marine Boy”, and while his performances in the pool have dipped in recent years his popularity has never wavered. The smiling face of endorsements for milk, headache pills, air conditioners, and communications equipment, Park was also a goodwill ambassador for the Dynamic Korea promotion, aimed at boosting Korea’s image abroad.
Under the strict rules applied by doping authorities, Park could still face punishment even if he was unaware that he had been injected with a banned substance, and a lengthy ban could derail his hopes of swimming at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Park’s agency, Team GMP, said the swimmer had repeatedly asked the hospital if the injection contained illegal substances but had been assured it was safe.
“As a world-class swimmer for the last 10 years, Park Tae-hwan hasn’t taken so much as cold medicine, that’s how careful he’s been due to concerns about doping problems and illegal substances,” Team GMP said in a statement. “Park is more shocked by this result than anyone else.”
An official from the Korea Swimming Federation, who asked not to be named, said that the test had been conducted in early September, before the Asian Games.
The federation and Park had been informed of the result in late October or early November, the official said, adding that the swimmer would have to attend a hearing with swimming’s world governing body, Fina, on 27 February to answer the doping charge.
The official said other details would be revealed at a news conference after the prosecution had wrapped up its probe.