First came a dramatic plea, with South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan dropping to his knees on international television. Then came a legal appeal.

Now the four-time Olympic medalist has won his fight to compete in the 2016 Summer Games.

On Friday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport made Park eligible for his nation’s Olympic team, ruling against South Korea’s unusually strict anti-doping policy.

The case began with Park testing positive for testosterone in 2014. Though his 18-month ban ended in March, South Korea imposes an additional penalty on cheaters, saying they cannot represent the nation for an additional three years.


Park had sought an expedited hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. South Korean officials relented within hours of the ruling, lifting their ban on him and saying they would reconsider their policies.

The 26-year-old – who appeared on television to beg for forgiveness in May – is the only South Korean swimmer to win an Olympic medal.

He took gold and silver at the 2008 Beijing Games, followed by two silvers at the 2012 London Games. He recently swam fast enough to qualify for Rio de Janeiro in several events.

david.wharton@latimes.com


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