Brazil this week finds itself half way to having the whole nation removed from international competition under rules governing numbers of fouls within a country in any one year (Rule DC 12.1)

The Brazilian swimming confederation (CBDA) has suspended Rogério Karfunkelstein for two years after the swimmer returned a positive anti-doping test for the steroid stanazolol.

The test was sample was provided at the Open-Correios meet in São Paulo on December 14, 2007, the week in which Rebeca Gusmao, had her case heard before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

Karfunkelstein appeared before a CBDA panel on Monday this week, accompanied by his father, Michael Karfunkelstein. The swimmer did not seek testing of the B sample, given that he had sent a letter to his confederation on December 19 announcing what the federation called 'his withdrawal from further official competitions'. His explanation for the presence of the steroid: it was contained in a medication administered to him to heal a knee injury.

Karfunkelstein, the 7th and 9th ranked Brazilian over 50 and 100m breaststroke all-time, with best times of 28.70 in 2005 and 1:03.64 in 2003, told the panel: "e;On August 17, while doing land work in preparation for the Troféu José Finkel, I suffered a rip to my right knee ... I was advised to opt for either surgery or treatment based on specific therapy and physiotherapy. This treatment is common in the USA, and has been used in Brazil for a few years.'

Beyond suspension, the swimmer has had annulled all results obtained in the six months prior to December 14. FINA has been informed of the decision and furnished with the paperwork pertaining to the case, the confederation announced.

Brazil now finds itself two suspensions short of having its entire national team removed from international waters under FINA rule DC 12.1, which, in short, can be summed up by 'four strikes and the entire nation is out' - in any single sport governed by FINA.