Tennis

[Gloin22]

Of course all pro stars take drugs that aren't banned yet.. no surprises..every WT team bar the French poor ones I imagine are on dodgy drugs that are legal for now.

But, i wonder, considering how big of an icon Sharapova is surely WTA would told her repeateadly to get off, this is really surprising. Considering how *** WTA already is, with her gone this is just shithouse.

 

[Maxiton]

Re:

If I should guess, I'd say she's being thrown under the bus, being Russian. It's the hip thing in sports administration.
Serena would have a Geigerteller get real loud. Actual testing would bring a very predictble result.

This.

 

[gooner]

Capriati isn't happy. That's one who is speaking out against Sharapova.

 

[arcus]

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

finallyyyyyyyyyy

High five

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

Agreed

 

[London Hibs]

Re:

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

Good post.

Let's hope the Williams sisters are finally caught (and hundreds of others, but the Williams bints will do for me).

 

[BullsFan22]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

 

[Inquitus]

Re:

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

If an athlete was forced to declare all prescription medicines they are taking on a regular basis then when drugs like this are added to the WADA list ,or first come to WADA's attention, retrospective testing could be used to prosecute anyone who did not declare such usage previously. It would also obviously act as a deterent as declaring drugs that have no clear medicinal necessity would be a good red flag and help WADA assess what drugs they should be looking out for.

It would be nice in utopia anyways.......

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

Very good point. Also surprised to see that someone would actually disclose this information. Either she feels that this was completely legal (technically, it was, because the drug was legal prior to 2016) and should bear no consequence to previous years, or she is being as 'honest' or at least up front about a failed drug test (so soon after the failed test, what's more) and/or the WTA/ITF has been complicit and they simply want this to be over and done with and not have this episode drag tennis deeper into the ground than it already is with the betting scandal.

 

[arcus]

Re: Re:

A key issue (for me) is if she disclosed this as a prescribed medication on her many doping-control forms over the past 10 years (during which time she states she took the drug)... Do we trust the ITF to honestly disclose this information?

I'll say it again, as an MD, I can personally think of no legitimate reason, apart from doping, for her to be on that drug.

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

If an athlete was forced to declare all prescription medicines they are taking on a regular basis then when drugs like this are added to the WADA list ,or first come to WADA's attention, retrospective testing could be used to prosecute anyone who did not declare such usage previously. It would also obviously act as a deterent as declaring drugs that have no clear medicinal necessity would be a good red flag and help WADA assess what drugs they should be looking out for.

It would be nice in utopia anyways.......

Athletes are required to list all prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as supplements they take, on every doping-control form they fill out..........

 

[Maxiton]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

 

[BullsFan22]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Sarcasm?

 

[Cake]

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

This is the key question, and therefore doubtless will be the question completely ignored by the media tomorrow.

Edit: should have credited Arcus for the OP

 

[arcus]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Not really buying that... Image-wise, regardless of who she plays for, she's about as American as it comes....

 

[Maxiton]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Sarcasm?

No, not sarcasm at all. Look around. Everything that projects Russian soft power in international sport is under assault. Apparently Sharapova is no exception.

 

[arcus]

Re:

She lives in the US, home to some of the most excellent health care in the world. Is she really getting her primary medical care in Russia, Latvia or Georgia, the only countries where this drug is approved?

This is the key question, and therefore doubtless will be the question completely ignored by the media tomorrow.

Edit: should have credited Arcus for the OP

Just like all the questions about Manning and his fondness for hyperoxia, and his wife's alleged love of hGH

 

[Maxiton]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Not really buying that... Image-wise, regardless of who she plays for, she's about as American as it comes....

She seems American to us (presuming you're American), but to Russians and Euros she is definitely Russian.

 

[arcus]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Not really buying that... Image-wise, regardless of who she plays for, she's about as American as it comes....

She seems American to us (presuming you're American), but to Russians and Euros she is definitely Russian.

I've lived in the US for >10 years, but I'm Irish-born and raised. IMO, she is more a cultural product of the US than Russia.......

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

In Sept 2014 WADA released the 2015 prohibited list which also informed that meldonium was being included on the 2015 monitoring program. That program identified probable abuse and so in September 2015 WADA notified that it was being included in the 2016 prohibited list.

IOW this drug has been on WADA notice for athletes for 15 months before her positive.

 

[Maxiton]

Wasn't expecting this. Not the part about her actually taking potential PED's, but the fact that they actually tested her and this was made public. Are finally getting somewhere? When will the Williams sisters, Nadal, et al be busted?

Probably political, having to do with the apparent need to take down all things Russian.

Not really buying that... Image-wise, regardless of who she plays for, she's about as American as it comes....

She seems American to us (presuming you're American), but to Russians and Euros she is definitely Russian.

Full disclosure. I've lived in the US for >10 years, but I'm Irish-born and raised. IMO, she is more a cultural product of the US than Russia.......

She is a marketing product of the US, and marketed in America as American. In Russia, Europe, and for that matter China and probably Africa, she is marketed as Russian.

In any case, and politics aside, perhaps a more pertinent question is, is her story right? Has she been taking this drug for ten years, and was unaware that it recently went on the prohibited list? Could that be true?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

In any case, and politics aside, perhaps a more pertinent question is, is her story right? Has she been taking this drug for ten years, and was unaware that it recently went on the prohibited list? Could that be true?

There's nothing inherently incredible about that part of her story, at least in broad strokes. She could well have been taking it for an extended period, safe in the knowledge that it wasn't on the banned list and then screwed up and not realise that it had been banned. She was after all popped at the first major tournament after the ban came in.

The idea that she was taking the drug in the first place, both before and after it was on the banned list, for reasons other than performance enhancement is, on the other hand, inherently incredible.

 

[wrinklyvet]

In any case, and politics aside, perhaps a more pertinent question is, is her story right? Has she been taking this drug for ten years, and was unaware that it recently went on the prohibited list? Could that be true?

Quite simply, in the absence (so far) of any contradictory evidence, it could be.

it is of course only relevant to the question of intent. That in turn may be relevant to the question of any discretion in the sanction.

 

[Spawn of e]

Re:

Capriati isn't happy. That's one who is speaking out against Sharapova.

Let's hope she doesn't regress after her treatment.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/us/capriati-stalking-charges-dropped/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Battery and stalking charges will be dropped now that Capriati, 37, has completed 30 hours of community service and four hours of anger management counseling, the state attorney's office in Palm Beach County, Florida, said.

 

[Maxiton]

In any case, and politics aside, perhaps a more pertinent question is, is her story right? Has she been taking this drug for ten years, and was unaware that it recently went on the prohibited list? Could that be true?

There's nothing inherently incredible about that part of her story, at least in broad strokes. She could well have been taking it for an extended period, safe in the knowledge that it wasn't on the banned list and then screwed up and not realise that it had been banned. She was after all popped at the first major tournament after the ban came in.

The idea that she was taking the drug in the first place, both before and after it was on the banned list, for reasons other than performance enhancement is, on the other hand, inherently incredible.

Quite simply, in the absence (so far) of any contradictory evidence, it could be.

it is of course only relevant to the question of intent. That in turn may be relevant to the question of any discretion in the sanction.

I wonder how many other players on the tennis circuit were taking this drug. Since the authorities have a list, ostensibly, of every drug taken by the players, they would be aware that she's been taking the drug for ten years. If they then suddenly ban the drug, what efforts did they make to get the word to their athlete? And if the drug's sole purpose is performance enhancement, why wait for ten years to ban it?