The Week That Was: Conor Dwyer Retires After Doping Suspension

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Conor Dwyer announced his retirement on Friday after receiving a 20 month doping suspension. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The International Swimming League is heating up as we hit the middle of October, but two/thirds of the 200 free podium from Rio dominated the headlines in the week that was. Conor Dwyer announced he is retiring from the sport of swimming after receiving a 20-month doping suspension while Sun Yang‘s hearing with the Court of Arbitration has been announced to take place November 15.

In Qatar, the first annual World Beach Games took place this week but Haley AndersonAshley Twichell and the Canadian national team pulled out of the competition because the water temperatures where the open water races were to be held were too warm.

Read the five biggest stories below in the week that was.

The Week That Was #5: TYR Co-Founder Steve Furniss Retires

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Photo Courtesy: TYR Sport

Today, two-time Olympic swimmer and TYR Sport co-founder Steve Furniss, announced his retirement after 34 years at the company. Furniss launched TYR in 1985 and helped transform the company into one of the world’s leading aquatic performance brands.

Steve began his sports business career in Landersheim, France working for legendary Adidas owner, Horst Dassler, He then served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Arena USA before co-founding TYR Sport with swimwear designer Joseph DiLorenzo. From the company’s beginning, TYR has focused on providing the competitive swim market with vibrant, performance driven prints and innovative swim training equipment.

The Week That Was #4: FINA Most Likely to Approve World Records Set in ISL

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

FINA is “most likely” to ratify any World records set in International Swimming League (ISL) competition because the international federation wishes “to avoid further legal action and an escalation of the swimmers’ revolution”, a source close to the top table of the organisation has told Swimming World.

The Week That Was #3: Haley Anderson, Ashley Twichell + Plus Canadian Team Pull Out of World Beach Games in Qatar

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Ashley Twichell and Haley Anderson at the 2019 Open Water Nationals – Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross

Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell, the top two American women open water swimmers, will not race at the ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar this weekend as planned because water temperatures are expected to exceed upper limits imposed after the death of their fellow American Fran Crippen in 2010.

USA Swimming confirmed the decision and explained:

“Based on water temperature data and USA Swimming’s recommendations concerning athlete health and safety, National Team athletes Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell have made the decision not to attend the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019.”

The Week That Was #2: Sun Yang CAS Hearing Set For November 15

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Sun Yang – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Sun Yang’s Court of Arbitration (CAS) hearing will be held in Lausanne on November 15, the swimmer’s Chinese lawyer Zhang Qihuai announced.

CAS has yet to add the hearing date to its published list of official hearings, its last statement confirming that a hearing was unlikely before the end of October given that all parties had not yet agreed to a timetable of events.

The hearing, requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is into a FINA Doping Panel decision to impose no penalty on Sun Yang, the 2012 Olympic 400 and 1500m freestyle champion for China who in 2014 was served a doping penalty, after an acrimonious encounter with anti-doping testers in September 2018.

The Week That Was #1: Conor Dwyer Retires After Receiving 20-Month Doping Suspension

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Two-time US Olympian Conor Dwyer was suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for testing positive for an anabolic agent in out-of-competition tests collected on November 15, November 27, and December 20, 2018. The decision came from an independent three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), who determined Dwyer, 30, should receive a 20-month suspension.

Dwyer’s 20-month period of ineligibility started on December 21, 2018, which would explain why he had to withdraw from the 2019 World Championship team this year without explanation.

He announced his retirement shortly after receiving the sentence.

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Dave Hoover
4 years ago

Perhaps the most honorable thing to do….

Lisa Bendall
4 years ago

A disgrace to the sport

Ami Erickson
4 years ago

It’s really sad for someone who was that talented ends up throwing away everything he’s worked for.

Youssef Abdallah
4 years ago

Camden Murphy

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago

Shame he was probably going to have the 2020 games be his last lap but now he can’t swim there…

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