U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Brinegar has been handed a four-year ban for blood doping.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) reports that the swimmer had irregularities in his test results from July to September 2022, according to Yahoo Sports.
The agency added that Brinegar’s “abnormal blood values” were “caused by blood doping.”
The swimmer has been fighting the charges and was even cleared of the violation by an independent arbiter. However, USADA appealed the arbiter’s decision. Ultimately, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the USADA and issued the ban.
Brinegar denies any wrongdoing.
“As an Olympian and the son of an Olympic swimmer whose US women’s team faced an East German team that was systematically doping cheating is a betrayal of everything I have been taught and stand for,” Brinegar wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
“I am deeply disappointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling and USADA’s accusations that are utterly unfounded.”
