File photo of Veronica Andrusenko.
Two Russian swimmers set to take part in the Tokyo Olympics were provisionally suspended by world governing body FINA for an anti-doping violation. Alexander Kudashev and Veronika Popova Andrusenko were suspended on Wednesday based on evidence provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency, according to FINA.
It said the evidence was found from WADA’s examination of materials recovered from a former anti-doping laboratory in Moscow, including the laboratory’s management information system. Kudashev and Andrashenko were ready to compete for the non-Union Russians. The Russian Federation has been barred from competing as a country in Tokyo due to doping issues being explored by WADA.
Andrusenko competed for Russia in several events at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. The 30-year-old swimmer had also participated in the International Swimming League in 2019. Kudashev will be competing in his first Olympics. The 25-year-old swimmer was a gold medalist at the 2019 World University Games.
“FINA is grateful to WADA for helping to ensure clean competition in Tokyo 2020,” FINA’s new president Hussein Al-Musallam said in a statement. “FINA is fully committed to the safety of clean athletes and promoting clean competition at Tokyo 2020.”
FINA’s competition testing and test delivery scheme is controlled by the International Testing Agency, which also handles the Tokyo 2020 anti-doping program on behalf of the IOC.
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