 César
Augusto Cielo Filho (born 1987 in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo,
Brazil) is a 6'5" (1.95m) 190 lb. (88kg) Brazilian professional swimmer
who specializes in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian
swimmer in history, having obtained two Olympic medals, four World
Championships gold medals and breaking a world record within a one-year
span. Cielo is the current world record holder in the 100 meter and 50
meter freestyle. His gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in the 50
meter freestyle competition, is Brazil's sole Olympic gold in swimming
to date.
Since almost every professional athlete is on
performance enhancing drugs what about Cesar? Of course! In
May 20, Cielo tested
positive for the banned substance furosemide. Furosemide is a diuretic
often used to help lose weight, but is also a masking agent which may
hide the presence of other drugs. Cielo was one of four Brazilian
swimmers who tested positive for the substance and was given a warning
by Brazil's national swimming federation. Cielo claimed the positive
drug test was a result of a cross-contamination. FINA appealed Cielo's
case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and CAS kept the
warning for Cielo. CAS claimed that a caffeine supplement had been
contaminated to bring about the failed drugs test. CAS explained that
they had become convinced that the furosemide found was not aimed to
improve athletic performance or mask the use of some other substance
capable of improving performance.
The CAS decision allowed Cielo
to compete in the 2010 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai,
generating controversy among other competitors. Notably, Kenyan swimmer
Jason Dunford flashed a "thumbs down" to the audience after Cielo's win
in the 50 meter butterfly (Dunford finished seventh in the race). |
