Swimming: Call for Smith's medals to be taken

Swimming: Call for Smith's medals to be taken

CANADIAN SWIMMING authorities will seek to have Michelle de Bruin stripped of the three gold medals she won at the Atlanta Olympics.

If that happened, the Canadians Marianne Limpert and Joanne Malar would move up to first and third in the 200m individual medley at the 1996 games. Harold Cliff, Swimming Canada's chief executive, said: "We'd love to see that happen. Is it realistic? Is it practical? That's up to the International Olympic Committee to decide."

De Bruin, who won her medals as Michelle Smith before her marriage, was suspended for four years by Fina, the sport's world governing body, for allegedly tampering with an out-of-competition test in April. The Irishwoman has vowed to fight the sanction and sue the swimming federation for damages.

Cliff said he will petition Fina later this month at meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland, to pressure the IOC into taking back Smith's medals.

Even though she passed all the drugs tests in Atlanta, rumours of drug use have surrounded Smith, who also won the 400m freestyle and 400 individual medley and finished third in the 200m butterfly.