BRITISH PARALYMPIC SWIMMER Josef Craig has been banned from a race after failing to cover up a tattoo of the Olympic rings.
The 19-year-old, who won two gold medals at London 2012, qualified for the final of the men’s S8 100 metres final at the European Championships, but was later disqualified as the tattoo breached the International Paralympic Committee rule relating to advertising.
An IPC spokesman said: “Body advertising is not allowed in any way whatsoever and that includes the Olympic rings. The athlete did not wear a cover and was therefore disqualified.
“All teams are informed of the advertising policy at a technical meeting prior to competition so it wasn’t as if they had not been reminded about the rules.”
The International Olympic Committee, which governs the Olympic Games, is a separate entity to the International Paralympic Committee.
Since the ruling, Craig has competed in other races at the European Championships, with his tattoo covered up by the British flag.
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