Australia’s elite swimmers "are losing faith" in the int'l anti-doping program after three recent cases in which Olympic and world champions were given reduced sentences for offenses. The Australian Swimmers Association "officially expressed concerns about the program to both Swimming Australia and Australia’s International Swimming Federation (FINA) bureau member Matt Dunn" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/27). ... The world governing body for athletics appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport "over punishments handed out by Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA) to six of its athletes." The athletes, including 2012 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Yuliya Zaripova and Olympic 50km walking champion Sergey Kirdyapkin, "have all been banned by RUSADA." However, the IAAF disagrees with the "selective" disqualification of results (REUTERS, 3/25). ... Brasileiro side Botafogo announced on its official site that it "paid a debt" of $123,000 it had with UAE Arabian Gulf League side Emirates. Botafogo's legal team "is still trying to discover the origin of the expense," but the club paid it as it "could have culminated in FIFA sanctions if it was not immediately remedied" (GAZETA ESPORTIVA, 3/26).
