Sharapova fails drug test

[GameSetAndMath]

Tossip was right. This was kept as a secret from ever her own team. See the following excerpt from the report of the tribunal.

"On the evidence of her manager this use of Mildronate by Ms Sharapova was not known to any of Ms Sharapova’s team, except for her father and, from 2013, Mr. Eisenbud himself. It was not known to her coach, her trainer, her physio who was responsible for recommending recovery drinks during and post match, her nutritionist who was responsible for her food and supplement intake, nor any of the doctors she consulted through the WTA. "

So Max knew about it and he was still getting her all kind of sponsorships (Porsche, TagHuer, etc). :eyepop

After reading the report (in between the lines), I came out with the impression that even Max did not really knew about it. It was a secret between Maria and her father only. The team of Maria was trying to find somebody to take the blame and they just put him on the stand. He made fool of himself at the stand and the tribunal did not buy his testimony as meaningful or truthful.

"In his second witness statement signed on 11 May he stated that he had assumed the responsibility to check Ms Sharapova’s medications and supplements against the WADA Prohibited List, after the player had left Dr. Skalny’s care in 2013. His explanation as to why he failed to discharge his responsibility is as follows. In November 2013 and 2014 he printed out a copy of the Prohibited List for the forthcoming year to take it with him on his vacation in the Caribbean so that it could be checked. In 2015 he separated from his wife, did not take his annual vacation in the Caribbean and due to the issues in his personal life failed to review the 2016 Prohibited List."


"The ITF has not directly challenged the veracity of Mr. Eisenbud’s evidence that he was asked by Ms Sharapova to be responsible for checking whether Mildronate was prohibited, but the evident implausibility of his account of how it was done was clear from the crossexamination. On the main issues which the tribunal has to decide the burden of proof lies on the player, not the ITF. The tribunal is not required to accept evidence which it finds to be wholly incredible. The idea that a professional manager, entrusted by IMG with the management of one of its leading global sporting stars, would so casually and ineptly have checked whether his player was complying with the anti-doping programme, a matter critical to the player’s professional career and her commercial success, is unbelievable. The tribunal rejects Mr. Eisenbud’s evidence."

 

[GameSetAndMath]

This is embarrassing. Nike says they will continue to partner with Meldopova.

Nike has taken similar stance in other sports too, continuing to sponsor tainted figures.

The only way they will change is if the masses decide to boycott their products.

 

[10isfan]

All I can say is that I am impressed with the tribunal. They got to the truth, didn't get swayed or fooled by the crap heaped upon it by her lawyer, and spared us tennis fans from the screaming cheater for two years. Well done!!!

 

[tossip]

does anyone feel that Maria lost to Venus at Wimbledon SF 05 because the drug had worn off because of rain delay...those rain delays disrupted her doping routine. :laydownlaughing...and the way she celebrated like a hyena after beating Venus at the AO..:nono

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Man they read her for filth in that report. I mean they were essentially like what moron would continue to use substances and not disclose them in the event that it could have an adverse effect with other substances. She should count herself lucky she didn't have a bad reaction. Interesting, she took it before her matches and before all of her matches in Australia.

 

[tossip]

I commiserate with Chris Evett,Anne Keothavong,Kamakshi Tandon,Tracy Austin,Mary Carillo,Ted Robinson,Cliff Drysdale,Virginia Wade and Maria Jose Fernandes..and all her cheerleaders.:lolz:...am sure all of them are red faced including Navratilova..:snicker

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The appeals process is expected to take around three months. So, by the time results of the CAS appeal comes out, US Open would have already started. So, the bright side is that even if she gets completely exonerated (chances for that are next to nil), she still have to miss Wimbledon, Olympics and USO this year.

But, I believe, after reading the report, that Maria does not stand a chance of reduction of ban in the appeals. A case can possibly be made for increasing the ban by WADA if they really want to go after Maria even further. However, there is no case that can be made for reduction of ban.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I wonder how the other players are reacting to this news. I also want to know what other players were taking the substance. I believe they said their were 24 positive samples this year 5 of which were Sharapova's.

 

[Front242]

There are far worse crimes in tennis than Meldonium mark my words. They just haven't been caught.

 

[10isfan]

The other players are celebrating is my guess. Lepchenko had a positive test.

 

[tossip]

Maria was forced down our throats from day one and the way the media fawned over her made her very unpopular with tennis fans....because of that her head became too big and thought she was above reproach...
She got caught because she became messy....tough titty

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Chris Evert, "after I read the report, two years made sense, a lot of holes in her account".

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I know some think the ban should be for four years. I am posting below the guidelines for the length of the Ban. They gave her the maximum ban that they could give her after saying it is unintentional. In order to give her anything more than that, they need to declare it as intentional. In order for that they need to establish that the Player or other Person engaged in conduct that he/she knew constituted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation or knew that there was a significant risk that the conduct might constitute or result in an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and manifestly disregarded that risk.

The problem is that Meldonium is a "specified substance". Therefore ITF needs to establish that Maria did it intentionally. Unfortunately, ITF has to meet this burden of proof and the standard is "clear and convincing evidence". On the other hand if it is not a "specified substance" (such as a steroid for example which has very less chances of getting into the system accidentally), the burden of proof is on the player to establish that they took it unintentionally. However, the standard of proof is less("preponderance of evidence" is used) when the burden of proof lies on the player.

Anyway, considering that the burden of proof lies on ITF (to demonstrate that Maria did it intentionally) and the standard of proof is higher ("clear and convincing evidence"), it would be
very difficult for the ITF to prove that she did it intentionally. Without the determination that she did it intentionally, the maximum that they could ban her is two years.

I am actually glad that they gave her full two years.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10.2 Imposition of a Period of Ineligibility for Presence, Use or Attempted Use, or Possession of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method:
The period of Ineligibility imposed for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1, 2.2 or 2.6 that is the Player or other Person's first anti-doping offence shall be as follows, subject to potential reduction or suspension pursuant to Article 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6:
10.2.1 The period of Ineligibility shall be four years where:
(a) The Anti-Doping Rule Violation does not involve a Specified Substance, unless the Player or other Person establishes that the Anti-Doping Rule Violation was not intentional.
(b) The Anti-Doping Rule Violation involves a Specified Substance and the ITF establishes that the Anti-Doping Rule Violation was intentional.
10.2.2 If Article 10.2.1 does not apply, the period of Ineligibility shall be two years.
10.2.3 As used in Articles 10.2 and 10.3, the term "intentional" is meant to identify those Players or other Persons who cheat. The term, therefore, requires that the Player or other Person engaged in conduct that he/she knew constituted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation or knew that there was a significant risk that the conduct might constitute or result in an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and manifestly disregarded that risk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

“To me, her declaration forms would be huge in her innocence and intent,” Davenport wrote in an email. “As a former player who has filled out those forms many times, it clearly asks for everything that you put in your body, from Advil to vitamins to birth control to you name it. The fact that she never once wrote it down even though she tested positive multiple times in 2015 and twice in 2016 is very incriminating to me.”

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I wonder how the other players are reacting to this news. I also want to know what other players were taking the substance. I believe they said their were 24 positive samples this year 5 of which were Sharapova's.

The data that you are referring to is from the year 2015 when Meldonium was legal. Maria tested positive for Meldonium five times in 2015. In 2016, Maria tested positive two times, once on Jan 26th at AO and once on Feb. 2nd in an out of competition testing. I don't know who else tested positive in 2015. That will not come out, as it was legal then.

It is widely believed that Lepchenko tested positive for Meldonium in 2016 and was placed on silent ban. However, as her levels were low and as she did not admit to taking it in 2016, she was able to use "get out of jail for free card" using the argument that it was in her system from before. As per the secrecy rules, ITF is not commenting on it. Obviously, Vavra did not comment on it, even though the press asked her seven times as to whether she tested positive.

 

[special700]

Maria banned for two years by the tribunal that heard her case. I think it is a fair decision. :clap

If you actually read the PDF she should have gotten 4 yrs. That document is damning as hell.

I read it completely. But, unlike you, I agree with their decision of 2 years. The thing is even though Maria was doing the unethical thing all along of taking a drug that she did not really need for any medical reasons (she took it primarily for enhancing performance), she did not realize that it was in actual violation of the WADA code (after all it was not in violation of WADA code till end of 2015). In that sense, she committed an unintentional violation. Hence, she was not given four years.

However, it is her duty and no one else's duty to realize that she was in fact committing a violation and is keeping up with the change in list of prohibited substances. So, she got the maximum possible ban that could be given for an unintentional violation. I think the judgement is fair; neither harsh nor lenient.

Leaving aside the legal side, on the morality side it is very clear that she was taking the drug with full knowledge that it is performance enhancing.

Are you kidding me she knew it was a PED she took it before each match at the AO. Give me a break. She maybe able to fool you but she's not fooling me.

 

[the AntiPusher]

“To me, her declaration forms would be huge in her innocence and intent,” Davenport wrote in an email. “As a former player who has filled out those forms many times, it clearly asks for everything that you put in your body, from Advil to vitamins to birth control to you name it. The fact that she never once wrote it down even though she tested positive multiple times in 2015 and twice in 2016 is very incriminating to me.”

If she tested positive multiple times in 2015 the reason she wasn't suspended at that time is because the drug wasn't listed as a ban substance until Jan 2016; is that correct?

 

[tossip]

Chris Evert, "after I read the report, two years made sense, a lot of holes in her account".

:snicker....she has no loyalty

 

[the AntiPusher]

If you actually read the PDF she should have gotten 4 yrs. That document is damning as hell.

I read it completely. But, unlike you, I agree with their decision of 2 years. The thing is even though Maria was doing the unethical thing all along of taking a drug that she did not really need for any medical reasons (she took it primarily for enhancing performance), she did not realize that it was in actual violation of the WADA code (after all it was not in violation of WADA code till end of 2015). In that sense, she committed an unintentional violation. Hence, she was not given four years.

However, it is her duty and no one else's duty to realize that she was in fact committing a violation and is keeping up with the change in list of prohibited substances. So, she got the maximum possible ban that could be given for an unintentional violation. I think the judgement is fair; neither harsh nor lenient.

Leaving aside the legal side, on the morality side it is very clear that she was taking the drug with full knowledge that it is performance enhancing.

Are you kidding me she knew it was a PED she took it before each match at the AO. Give me a break. She maybe able to fool you but she's not fooling me.

Or the rest of the world either

 

[tossip]

remember how Richard Branson was buddy buddy with pova during Wimbledon04 and was saying he is for change of guard in women tennis,alluding to the idea that the fans were tired of the sisters...he must be redfaced right now.
Larry Scott must embarrassed that he created a monster...blinded by the peroxide.