Russian swimmers face possible international ban, sports official says

A string of failed drug tests could get Russian swimmers banned from international competition, the country’s sports minister said Monday.

Vitaly Mutko warned that the entire Russian swimming federation could be disqualified because of the growing number of doping violations.

“There are a number of sports that generally are on the verge” of disqualification, Mutko said at a meeting of top sports officials, R-Sport reported. He did not name the other sports at risk of disqualification.

World champion Yulia Efimova, recently found to have anabolic steroids in her system, tops the list of Russian swimmers who have been sanctioned.

Her country is scheduled to host the 2015 World Swimming Championships.