Australia’s Vinod Kumar set to miss Rio after failed dope test

TIL Desk Sports/Australian wrestler Vinod Kumar failed a doping test during an Olympic qualification event in Algeria in April and is set to be dropped from the team for the Rio Games. The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said in a statement on Friday both Kumar’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ samples tested positive for an unspecified banned substance following the African/Oceania qualifier in Algiers.

“The Australian Olympic Committee has asked Wrestling Australia to withdraw the nomination of athlete Vinod Kumar for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games following an anti-doping violation,” the AOC said. “The international federation, United World Wrestling, has advised they will reallocate his position in the 66kg division to the next best ranked NOC.”

The 31-year-old, who was born in India but emigrated to Australia in 2010 and first competed for his adopted country in March, has been suspended for four years but has 30 days in which to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.