Zubkov Expelled For Six Years
2007-03-30
Craig Lord
The Ukraine coach, whose argument and fight with his daughter was caught on video and subsequently broadcast on Australian television, has been expelled from all FINA events for six years

Mykhaylo Zubkov, the Ukraine coach whose argument and fight with his daughter Kataryna in the marshalling area was caught on video and subsequently broadcast on Australian television, has been expelled from all FINA events for six years.

The FINA Disciplinary Panel, after a second hearing into the matter, considered two cases against the coach, namely:

That Zubkov has breached article 2(b) of the FINA Code of Conduct That Zubkov has brought the sport of swimming into disrepute in accordance with C 12.1.3 of the FINA Constitution.

The Panel founds Zubkov guilty on both counts.

Submissions from Zubkov's lawyers, the coach himself, his daughter and character references were considered but the FINA Disciplinary Panel recommended that he be "eligible to apply to be readmitted to FINA not before six years".

Zubkov may now appeal, either before the FINA Executive or to the Court of Arbitration in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Meantime, daughter and father walked out of court in Melbourne on Thursday, according to local media reports, hand in hand: TV footage was not sufficient to take out an intervention order against the coach.

Nor is video footage admissable in the pool yet - but it ought to be, and the sooner the better.