75°F
weather icon Clear

Grothe wins gold after anti-doping suspension of Russian swimmer

Winning a gold medal in a competitive sport is something that athletes train for and dream about for years. And for Zane Grothe, a 2010 graduate of Boulder City High School, receiving that championship title is just as impactful today as it was when he swam the race nearly six years ago.

As a result of the suspension of three Russian swimmers for violating the world anti-doping code, Grothe and his three teammates — Blake Pieroni, Jacob Pebley and Pace Clark — were recently awarded the gold medal for the 800-meter relay at the 2016 World Short Course Championships.

“It’s special,” he said about receiving the gold medal. “That silver was the highest recognizable achievement I’d ever received in this sport. And now it’s golden.”

The effects of Artem Lobuzov’s suspension by the Fédération Internationale De Natation, the international organization for administering international water sports competitions, from swimming included the forfeiture of all results after the date of his original suspension in 2014.

Grothe said he believes that FINA took the right action stripping the swimmers of their race results.

“The rules are rules. You agree to abide by them before you race. Performance-enhancing substances have no place in sport,” he said.

Grothe said the win is just as exciting now as it would have been immediately after the race, especially since he still competes at the same level.

“Next week I will be in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the (Phillips 66 International Team Trials) looking to qualify for my fifth world championship team.”

He said he hasn’t been in contact with his teammates from that race to see how they feel about the change, but doesn’t believe it has the same impact as two won gold medals during Olympic competitions and the others retired from the sport years ago “from lack of interest.”

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Eagles grounded at homecoming

The scoreboard may have reflected a dreaded 44-8 loss to rival Moapa Valley on Oct. 3, but the optimism surrounding the Boulder City High School football team is much brighter heading into this week.

Girls golf ends season undefeated

Finishing the regular season with an undefeated record, Boulder City High School girls golf finished strong at Casablanca on Sept. 30.

BC seniors swim to victory

Competing at the Silver State Senior Games swim meet at Pavilion Pool in Las Vegas October 4-5, four members of Boulder City’s Masters swim team SONAR dominated the field.

Runners look toward postseason

Competing at the CSN Invitational at Floyd Lamb Park on Oct. 3, Aiden MacPherson and Caleb Wolfe finished fourth and fifth respectively out of 121 runners.

Tennis teams look toward postseason

Clinching regular-season league titles, both Boulder City High School programs defeated Adelson on Sept. 30.

Lady Eagles volleyball goes 3-4 in Las Vegas tournament

Facing strong competition in the Del Sol tournament on Sept. 26-27, Boulder City High School girls volleyball advanced to 11-14 on the season.

Eagles win third game in a row

Starting off league play strong, Boulder City High School defeated Democracy Prep 30-14 on Sept. 26.

Eagles win in OT on the road

Defying the odds, Boulder City High School football escaped an overtime thriller with 4A Eldorado on Sept. 19, winning 26-20.

Sports Roundup: Hinds continues to pace golf team

Remaining undefeated on the season, Boulder City High School girls golf won their league match at Coyote Springs on Sept. 15.

Volleyball looks to move closer to .500

The BCHS girls volleyball team advanced to 7-9 on the season after defeatimg rival Pahrump Valley 3-1 on Sept. 17.