International Amateur Swimming Federation

Seven days before several American swimmers and coaches called for sweeping changes in Olympic drug testing, the United States had been the only nation to speak against a proposal to automatically test any swimmer who sets a world record, an international official said here Tuesday. Ross Wales, secretary for FINA, the international swimming federation, said that an amendment proposing that all world record-setters be tested was put before the FINA congress here last Wednesday.

FINA, the international governing body of swimming, is attempting to put the genie back in the bottle. The genie would be the high-tech swimsuits, starting with the well-known Speedo LZR Racer, that dominated the run-up to the Beijing Olympics last year, and the next generation of controversial successors.

Long Beach, site of last summer's U.S. Olympic swim trials, will not vie to replace Montreal as host of this summer's World Aquatics Championships, the head of the city's sports council said Wednesday. FINA, the international governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open-water swimming, canceled its agreement with Montreal to stage the games after Montreal organizers couldn't meet FINA's financial requirements.

Long Beach, site of last summer's U.S. Olympic swim trials, will not vie to replace Montreal as host of this summer's World Aquatics Championships, the head of the city's sports council said Wednesday. FINA, the international governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open-water swimming, canceled its agreement with Montreal to stage the games after Montreal organizers couldn't meet FINA's financial requirements.

Reacting to U.S. Swimming's decision to reverse a two-year sanction against Jessica Foschi, a member of swimming's international governing body Saturday criticized the action. Harm Beyer, a FINA official, said the decision to give Foschi, 15, of Old Brookville, N.Y., a two-year probation instead of a ban leaves many questions as to what will happen next. "To be polite, it is a disastrous decision," Beyer told The Times from his home in Hamburg, Germany.

In stunning action that could signal the beginning of an international controversy, U.S. Swimming's board of directors Friday reversed its decision to ban Jessica Foschi for two years for testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

U.S. Swimming leaders questioned their decision to ban Jessica Foschi for taking an anabolic steroid in light of Tuesday's announcement that Australian world-record holder Samantha Riley was cleared by FINA, swimming's international governing body. FINA gave Riley, who tested positive for the drug dextropropoxyphene at the world short-course championships in Brazil in December, merely a "strong warning" but banned her coach, Scott Volkers, for two years.

American distance swimmer Jessica Foschi, who had been suspended for a positive steroid test, won her appeal of the two-year international ban imposed by FINA, the governing body for swimming. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, ruled in favor of Foschi on Tuesday, and ordered FINA to pay her $10,350. Foschi, 16, of Old Brookville, N.Y., tested positive for mesterolone after finishing third in the 1,500-meter freestyle in the U.S.

Swimming's world governing body (FINA) took the boldest initiative yet Wednesday in the fight against drugs by throwing the onus on the national federations to control doping. In a move that throws into confusion attempts to harmonize doping regulations among sports federations, FINA's congress voted overwhelmingly to ban for two years any federation whose swimmers return four positive steroid tests in a 12-month period.

American distance swimmer Jessica Foschi, who tested positive last summer for an anabolic steroid at a meet in Southern California, has been suspended for two years by FINA, the international governing body for swimming. The ban, which was announced Monday from FINA's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, is retroactive to Aug. 4, 1995 when Foschi tested positive for mesterolone after finishing third in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the U.S. summer national championships at Pasadena.

American distance swimmer Jessica Foschi, who had been suspended for a positive steroid test, won her appeal of the two-year international ban imposed by FINA, the governing body for swimming. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, ruled in favor of Foschi on Tuesday, and ordered FINA to pay her $10,350. Foschi, 16, of Old Brookville, N.Y., tested positive for mesterolone after finishing third in the 1,500-meter freestyle in the U.S.

Swimming's world governing body (FINA) took the boldest initiative yet Wednesday in the fight against drugs by throwing the onus on the national federations to control doping. In a move that throws into confusion attempts to harmonize doping regulations among sports federations, FINA's congress voted overwhelmingly to ban for two years any federation whose swimmers return four positive steroid tests in a 12-month period.

American distance swimmer Jessica Foschi, who tested positive last summer for an anabolic steroid at a meet in Southern California, has been suspended for two years by FINA, the international governing body for swimming. The ban, which was announced Monday from FINA's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, is retroactive to Aug. 4, 1995 when Foschi tested positive for mesterolone after finishing third in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the U.S. summer national championships at Pasadena.

Reacting to U.S. Swimming's decision to reverse a two-year sanction against Jessica Foschi, a member of swimming's international governing body Saturday criticized the action. Harm Beyer, a FINA official, said the decision to give Foschi, 15, of Old Brookville, N.Y., a two-year probation instead of a ban leaves many questions as to what will happen next. "To be polite, it is a disastrous decision," Beyer told The Times from his home in Hamburg, Germany.

In stunning action that could signal the beginning of an international controversy, U.S. Swimming's board of directors Friday reversed its decision to ban Jessica Foschi for two years for testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

U.S. Swimming leaders questioned their decision to ban Jessica Foschi for taking an anabolic steroid in light of Tuesday's announcement that Australian world-record holder Samantha Riley was cleared by FINA, swimming's international governing body. FINA gave Riley, who tested positive for the drug dextropropoxyphene at the world short-course championships in Brazil in December, merely a "strong warning" but banned her coach, Scott Volkers, for two years.

FINA, the international governing body of swimming, is attempting to put the genie back in the bottle. The genie would be the high-tech swimsuits, starting with the well-known Speedo LZR Racer, that dominated the run-up to the Beijing Olympics last year, and the next generation of controversial successors.

Seven days before several American swimmers and coaches called for sweeping changes in Olympic drug testing, the United States had been the only nation to speak against a proposal to automatically test any swimmer who sets a world record, an international official said here Tuesday. Ross Wales, secretary for FINA, the international swimming federation, said that an amendment proposing that all world record-setters be tested was put before the FINA congress here last Wednesday.