Kazakhstan's Artur Dilman, once one of that country's most promising swimmers, has been hit with a 6-month ban for mexylhethaneamine.
Dilman was on the 2008 Olympic Team and swam the men's 200 free. There, he placed 52nd overall in 1:52.90 – which is a great time considering he was only 17 at the time. Now, four years later, it was revealed that he has been handed a 6-month suspension, effective June 17th of this year, after a positive test during the ENKA Open in Istanbul.
After the big three of China, South Korea, and Japan, Kazakhstan has one of the better swim programs in Asia. Dilman, though he hadn't qualified for this year's Olympics, swam the prelims of the 2010 Asian Games in a medley where the Kazakhs earned a bronze medal.
This is another blow to a country that was told they had a medley relay invited to the Olympics when FINA forgot to include a Brazilian result. They had that ripped from them at the last minute, however.
Methylhexaneamine has made frequent appearances in doping news in the past year; that includes being the reason why Brazilian champion Fabiola Molina received a 6 month suspension. It is classed by the World Anti-Doping Association as a stimulant. Scientifically, it is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it contracts the blood vessels. That can be used in training to force the body to increase its capacity for blood flow. It also has legitimate uses as a nasal decongestant.