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Park Tae-hwan banned for 18 months, may return for Rio Olympics

March 23, 2015
Park Tae-hwan speaks to his coaching staff at a pool in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 19, 2014, while practicing for the 17th Incheon Asian Games, which open later in the day. (Yonhap)

Park Tae-hwan received an 18-month ban on Monday.

South Korea’s only Olympic-winning swimmer, Park Tae-hwan — who failed a doping test last year — will likely return for the 2016 Rio Olympics following an 18-month ban announced Tuesday in Korea, Yonhap reported.

The 25-year-old star swimmer tested positive for testosterone in September.

He said he did not know he had been injected with a banned substance by a doctor last July. That doctor was indicted by Seoul prosecutors in February.

Park is a four-time Olympic medalist.

UPDATE: Park’s wins at last year’s Incheon Asian Games — one silver, five bronze — will be invalidated, Yonhap reported.