World's Fastest 50-Meter Freestyle Swimmer Of 2019 Suspended Over Cannabis Test

Andrea Vergani, 21, has been provisionally suspended after failing a test during the Italian national championships earlier this month.

ROME (AP) — The Italian swimmer who posted the world’s best time in the men’s 50-meter freestyle this year has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for cannabis.

Nado Italia, the country’s anti-doping body, says Andrea Vergani failed a test taken April 2 during the national championships in Riccione.

During the same competition, he won the 50-meter freestyle in 21.53 seconds — two hundredths faster than Vladimir Morozov’s time at the Russian championships.

The 21-year-old Vergani also won bronze medals in the 50-meter freestyle at the European Championships and as part of Italy’s 4x50-meter freestyle relay squad at the short-course world championships — both last year.

Vergani risks a ban of up to six months which could keep him out of the long-course world championships in Gwangju, South Korea, in July.

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