PARIS: Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova’s bid to have her provisional suspension lifted has been rejected by the International Swimming Federation. Efimova was handed a provisional ban in March after testing positive for the banned drug meldonium. The swimmer had asked FINA to lift the ban so that she could compete at Russia’s Olympic Trials starting in Moscow on Saturday. But FINA said that Efimova will not be allowed to return to competition until after her hearing. “Considering the provisional suspension imposed by FINA and the recent WADA recommendations on the use of meldonium, the FINA Doping Panel decided to maintain the ban,” FINA said.