Sharapova fails drug test

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I am amazed she didn't read the email regarding this, or if she was too busy to read it pass it on to her doctor to check. You'd think she'd have some procedure in place to make sure she doesn't get caught out by changes in the rules like this.
 
Bumpswithagrin said:
I am amazed she didn't read the email regarding this, or if she was too busy to read it pass it on to her doctor to check. You'd think she'd have some procedure in place to make sure she doesn't get caught out by changes in the rules like this.
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She was unclear here - she said that she both didn't read the email and that she didn't realise that Mildronate was also called Meldonium (which was listed as a banned substance).

I don't doubt that she thought she was following the rules but her story was a little dodgy in this regard. Hard to reconcile those two pieces of information.
 
Dannnnnnnnnn said:
She was unclear here - she said that she both didn't read the email and that she didn't realise that Mildronate was also called Meldonium (which was listed as a banned substance).

I don't doubt that she thought she was following the rules but her story was a little dodgy in this regard. Hard to reconcile those two pieces of information.
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Yes that confused me too. Maybe she didn't read it straight away and then when she eventually did she thought she was OK because the name was different. Both things indicate that her system fell down (assuming the whole thing is not a utensil and bull story).
 

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Dannnnnnnnnn said:
Except up until the first of January this year it wasn't on the banned substance list. Whether you view it as performance enhancing or not, it was perfectly legal for her to consume it. It's not exactly unusual for athletes to look for legal supplements that give them an edge.
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But she clearly was taking it to enhance performance so as far as I'm concerned it was bad sportsmanship. It's not like she needed it for a medical condition or accidentally took it.
 
Haynefan#1872 said:
But she clearly was taking it to enhance performance so as far as I'm concerned it was bad sportsmanship. It's not like she needed it for a medical condition or accidentally took it.
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Don't get me wrong, I wish professional sport hadn't gone down the supplements path, but in my opinion what Sharapova was doing prior to this year was just par for the course. This particular drug was prevalent enough for WADA to specifically look into after many years of being legal so she's hardly alone. I do agree with your sentiment re: young healthy athletes though. Unfortunately I think pushing the boundary with what you take is a massive part of competitive sport now.

Regardless, she broke the rules and will be punished as a result. I'm not standing up for her positive test. I just personally don't agree with the criticism of her taking it before this year. I hate what sport is becoming (and particularly hate what the sports science profession is becoming) but when there are legal aids to performance available with minimal or nonexistent negative consequences that you know your opponents are involved with up to their eyeballs, I don't really think it's poor sportsmanship.
 
Massive oversight from her and her team (and it would seem she's not hte only one to have been stung).

And what is the accepting of responsibility? Ridiculous attitude!!

Not a huge fan of her, but she spoke well and looks like she'll cop her whack which I imagine will be 6-12 months.
 
Yeah she's made a blunder and owned up to it. She'll serve her penance and be back in 2017 I imagine.
 
Dannnnnnnnnn said:
She was unclear here - she said that she both didn't read the email and that she didn't realise that Mildronate was also called Meldonium (which was listed as a banned substance).

I don't doubt that she thought she was following the rules but her story was a little dodgy in this regard. Hard to reconcile those two pieces of information.
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Guilty of negligence and a bit of arrogance more than actually taking a PED in reality. She's a veteran, she's never failed a test before, she's been taking the substance for 10 years. Probably thought she'd never been done before, and that a Dr or official would tell her if she needed to change her intake.

Feel very sorry for her, especially in light of her gracious apology as opposed to the woe be me attitude from banned athletes in our code.
 
Haynefan#1872 said:
But she clearly was taking it to enhance performance so as far as I'm concerned it was bad sportsmanship. It's not like she needed it for a medical condition or accidentally took it.
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So taking anything to enhance performance is bad sportsmanship? Athletes from all sports swallow all kinds of crap for a benefit, and if its legal to do so then what's the problem?
 

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SwampCreature said:
This logic is ridiculous.
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How hard is it for Wada to send athletes a warning via email or letter to say the s**t they've been taking is now banned and they need to stop taking it or they'll cop a ban.

There are other ways to educate athletes on this stuff then just flat out banning them and destroying careers.
 
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How do you not check the list? I mean she has a massive support staff.

I've hearing 2 years or 1 year. But who knows


Also

Wolfs said:
Most important is Masha's presser. That's going to be interesting.

- Retiring?
- Surgery?
- Pregnant?
- Sabbatical?
- Business Venture?
- Donald Trump related?
- Drugs related?

Ahh it will be an anti-climax.
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Didn't not expect the last one.
 
BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!! said:
How hard is it for Wada to send athletes a warning via email or letter to say the s**t they've been taking is now banned and they need to stop taking it or they'll cop a ban.

There are other ways to educate athletes on this stuff then just flat out banning them and destroying careers.
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The only person ultimately responsible for ensuring an athlete is not cheating is the athlete. End of story.

No amount of bellyaching from but-hurt Bombers fans will change this.
 
Flameboy said:
Yeah she's made a blunder and owned up to it. She'll serve her penance and be back in 2017 I imagine.
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Pretty much this, it's a bad mistake that not only she's done but her team as well, how it's not someone job to check that list? She should cop 12 months and leave as that.
 
SwampCreature said:
The only person ultimately responsible for ensuring an athlete is not cheating is the athlete. End of story.

No amount of bellyaching from but-hurt Bombers fans will change this.
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Nothing to do with being but hurt it's just common sense also you cant possibly say that every athlete that gets banned is because they deliberately cheated.
 
BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!! said:
How hard is it for Wada to send athletes a warning via email or letter to say the s**t they've been taking is now banned and they need to stop taking it or they'll cop a ban.

There are other ways to educate athletes on this stuff then just flat out banning them and destroying careers.
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They did warn her, the Russian Federation also tweeted a warning in August 2015 asking all athletes to make sure they stop taking it by Dec 31st.
 
Doesn't the fact that athletes have been found to be using it since WADA started investigating it (1 in 50 have been found to be using it) indicate that maybe WADA are behind the Sports Scientists / Athletes by a long way. If Sharapova (and others) has been using it for ten years, to me that means that there is a benefit to be derived from using it, and WADA are only just catching on as has been well publicized before that the drug takers are always one step ahead of the drug testers
 
Cole Dammett said:
Doesn't the fact that athletes have been found to be using it since WADA started investigating it (1 in 50 have been found to be using it) indicate that maybe WADA are behind the Sports Scientists / Athletes by a long way. If Sharapova (and others) has been using it for ten years, to me that means that there is a benefit to be derived from using it, and WADA are only just catching on as has been well publicized before that the drug takers are always one step ahead of the drug testers
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Yes and this is the issue, WADA cannot keep up with the science nor can they test and ban every athlete.

Sharapova is going to be a lesson to the rest, a marquee tennis player, it's almost unheard of because in the past the ITF have been left to their own devices.
 
If the whole story is as we know it then I feel sorry for her and you have to respect the way she has handled it.

For some reason I think there is more to it. I have absolutely no reason to think that, so shoot me down, it's just gut feel.
 
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