Rafael Munoz, the Spanish world record holder over 50m butterfly, faces an imminent hearing before the FINA doping panel, one that could end his 2010 season before he gets to race at the European Championships in Budapest next month.
If found guilty of having failed to notify anti-doping authorities of his whereabouts for months on end after the Roma2009 world championships last summer Munoz is likely to be suspended for two years, dating back to the date of his alleged offense.
That would cut him out of the FINA World Championships in Shanghai next year but would make him eligible to race once more in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The more pressing matter is Budapest and the European Championships from August 9. Cornel Marculescu, Executive Director of FINA, told SwimNews: "We are awaiting the hearing with the doping panel. It may be set for the first days of August. The swimmer can still race in such a case because temporary suspensions, pending a hearing, are only imposed where there is a banned substance involved. If he is found guilty [of failing to notify ant-doping agents of his whereabouts] then it will be a two-year suspension under the rules."
