LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Spanish Olympic swimmer Sergio Garcia is ineligible for the 2012 London Games after being banned for one year for failing to report his whereabouts for drug testing.
Swimming’s governing body FINA says it imposed the ban because Garcia broke the rules three times within 18 months.
Garcia swam the 200-meter breaststroke heats at the Beijing Olympics. Under IOC rules, he cannot compete in London because the doping ban is more than six months.
Garcia is the second Spaniard this month to face FINA for whereabouts violations.
FINA declined to ban Rafael Munoz after dismissing his first reporting failure due to his “vulnerable” emotional state. Days later, Munoz won the 50 butterfly European title.
