The executive of the world swimming body FINA will meet in Lausanne tomorrow morning and is scheduled to discuss whether or not to impose an interim suspension on Michelle de Bruin following the outcome of a dope test taken by the swimmer in January. De Bruin is currently considering whether or not to open the B sample component of that test.
FINA regulations state that in the instance of what is termed an "adverse report" being delivered by the analysing laboratory, the athlete shall be suspended from competition until such time as he or she appears before FINA's doping commission. Suspensions have been automatically imposed on Chinese and Australian swimmers in the recent past pending their hearings.
The Irish Amateur Swimming Association has declined to specify why it has failed to impose a temporary ban on its swimmer, as is the practice with other federations.
De Bruin disclosed details of her "adverse report" at a press conference in Dublin last week and is currently considering the next step in the fight to clear her name.
Over the weekend she met a long-standing commitment to compete in a small club meeting in Sarcelles in northern Paris, chopping 12 seconds off her own Irish record for the 800 metres freestyle on Saturday afternoon.
This year in Sarcelles, as last year, she was paid a fee to compete for the MelunDammarie club. Apart from a brief interview for television de Bruin refused to speak to the media. Michelle returned to Ireland with her husband, Erik, yesterday.
Also meeting in Lausanne tomorrow will be FINA's special 10-man task force, set up last year to investigate the problems of doping and testing within a sport which has been wracked by scandal in recent years. It is expected that they will consult with the FINA executive some time tomorrow afternoon.
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