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 Swimming's governing body FINA handed out the ban on Monday at a
hearing in Switzerland after the 25-year-old had tested positive for
testosterone ahead of the Asian Games in September.
Park, one of South Korea's most popular athletes and the face of a
host of advertising campaigns, tested positive after he was given a
shot at a clinic and said he should have taken more care to find out
what the doctor was injecting him with.
"The last few months since the doping results came out have been
hell," Park told reporters at a Seoul hotel. "When I first heard
that I had tested positive I thought for sure it must be some
mistake.
"I thought: 'Why did this happen to me? What if I didn't go to that
hospital? What if I didn't let the doctor inject me? If I could only
go back in time."
Park said he had gone to the clinic seeking treatment for a skin
complaint and after being prescribed vitamins he had explained to
the doctor that he could not take anything that might be on the
banned substances list.
The hospital had assured him he was only receiving vitamins, he
added.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency has reported that Seoul prosecutors
have charged a doctor with professional negligence and the trial is
set to begin next month.
PAST GLORY
A double world champion and the first Korean to win an Olympic
swimming medal, Park's suspension was backdated from Sept. 3 and
runs through March 2, 2016, leaving the door open for Park to return
in time for the Rio Olympics.
"FINA has left the door open for the Olympics, but nothing has been
decided yet," he said, adding that he had been unable to talk about
the case before his March 23 hearing due to FINA confidentiality
requirements.
"I want to say sorry to the people for not explaining the situation
sooner."
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Park's case has stunned the sporting community in South Korea, which
took enormous pride from his 400 meters freestyle gold medal at the
2008 Beijing Olympics.
"I've worn the Korean flag since I was 15 and in all that time I
never once thought about using drugs," said Park, the flashes from
banks of cameras bursting to life as he spoke.
"Some of those closest to me ask, do you think it's fair that all
your glory over the last 10 years, all the time and effort you have
put in, it will all come down to you being a junkie," he said
haltingly, before pausing to compose himself.
Park said he would work hard to restore his reputation and laid out
what the episode had cost him.
"Swimming is the only thing I've ever known, and now I can no longer
do it."
(Additional reporting by Seungyun Oh; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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