Northwestern Wildcats

Swimmer Mike Alexandrov accepts 1-year doping ban

Published Mar. 6, 2018 3:17 p.m. ET

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) Mike Alexandrov, a former Bulgarian Olympian and U.S. national team member, has accepted a one-year doping ban.

The 32-year-old swimmer who lives in Los Angeles tested positive for benzoylecgonine and methylecgonine, which are metabolites of cocaine, as the result of a urine sample he provided at a meet in Santa Clara, California, last June.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced the ban Tuesday.

Alexandrov's one-year ban began on Aug. 24, 2017, the day he returned from retirement. He has been disqualified from all competitive results dating to June 4, 2017, when his positive sample was collected, and has forfeited any medals, points and prizes.

Cocaine falls under the class of stimulants and is prohibited in competition under USADA rules.

Alexandrov competed for his native Bulgaria in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He changed his sports citizenship from Bulgaria to the U.S. in 2009.

He swam collegiately for Northwestern and won an NCAA title in the 100-yard breaststroke in 2007.

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