Lausanne – Former world record holder and Olympic gold medallist Roland Schoeman has been suspended for doping, the International Swimming Federation (Fina) announced on Thursday.

The South African, who is 39 and was training for the 2020 Olympics in the hope of qualifying for the event, tested positive in May 2019 for a prohibited product from the family of “hormonal and metabolic modulators”, Fina said.

Schoeman has been suspended until May 17, 2020. The swimming competition in Tokyo starts on July 25 which means he still would be eligible for the event should he make the South African team.

He was part of the winning South African 4x100m relay team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a triple world champion and held world records in butterfly and freestyle.

The swimmer can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

More to follow…