Sharapova fails a dope test

[Kevin S]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: What particular benefit is this now-banned one meant to provide, and can you tell Maria's had extra 'that' for ten years?

From the cyclingnews site:

According to an article in Drug Testing and Analysis, researchers found it "demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system (CNS) functions."

[Ray de Galles]

Sharapova fails a dope test

ursus arctos wrote: Shameless attempt to drive traffic to one of "your " threads, thereby increasing your "metrics".

Well done.

I demand testing of these artificially-enhanced enormo-threads spuriously titled as "2016" ones when in fact they started in 2013.

No surprise that they cover cycling and tennis, none of that chicanery in rugby, oh no, not at all.

[Guy Profumo]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Ray de Galles wrote:

Shameless attempt to drive traffic to one of "your " threads, thereby increasing your "metrics".

Well done.

I demand testing of these artificially-enhanced enormo-threads spuriously titled as "2016" ones when in fact they started in 2013.

No surprise that they cover cycling and tennis, none of that chicanery in rugby, oh no, not at all.

Not in Rugby League (or the WRU) anyway.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Good to see VW-Porsche taking a strong moral stand by withdrawing their sponsorship.

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Yeah, they wouldn't want to be associated with someone who fakes their performance, now would they?

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Sharapova fails a dope test

There's an excellent piece here on the BBC site about Sharapova's manipulation of the release of this news at her press conference, deconstructing her cunningly chosen misleading phrases brilliantly:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/35754677

[ursus arctos]

Sharapova fails a dope test

So, it turns out that the owner of the Latvian pharma company that has been churning this stuff out is the head of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation . . .

[ad hoc]

Sharapova fails a dope test

We have a couple of Latvians at SportClub this year. I have the feeling that the Romanian Federation will be taking a strong interest in this in the hope of stripping SC of the titles we win (cup so far, favourites for the league)

[Borracho]

Sharapova fails a dope test

The people who make this Sharapova drug have put out a statement saying that you're meant to take it for four to six weeks, rather than ten years.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Sharapova fails a dope test

The people who make this Sharapova drug have put out a statement saying that you're meant to take it for four to six weeks, rather than ten years.

Yes, but she accidentally overlooked that part of the guidance. Easily done.

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

And, that it's meant to treat very serious heart conditions. You know, the sort of thing that hyper-fit 18 year olds routinely suffer from.

[Anorak Smith]

Sharapova fails a dope test

What doesn't really stack up for me is that as a tennis pro, Sharapova appears to have been quite efficient at earning millions in endorsements without actually being the number one tennis player in the world year after year, or winning tens of grand slam tournaments (or even ten). So, if the medical excuse doesn't stand up under closer scrutiny, how much difference has Mendolium made, and was it really worth the risk?

[ursus arctos]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Is it a cosmetic pharmaceutical?

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

An intriguing suggestion - if Sharapova has been importing a non-approved medication into the USA, will the DEA be wanting a quiet chat?

Also this is some of the packaging for Mildronate, which Sharapova was unaware might also be referred to as Meldonium. What else has she not read, I wonder?

[Guy Profumo]

Sharapova fails a dope test

And Ms Sharapova qualifies as a doctor…

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/35768294

Arse. Not her, is it. Misleading punctuation from Auntie led me to believe these were her words.

Move on.

Nothing to see here

As you were.

Sincere apologies.

[Anorak Smith]

Sharapova fails a dope test

There's no mention of diabetes on Wikipedia's Meldonium page, my go to website for all my medicinal knowledge.

I would love to have seen that interview, Ivars Calvins swaggering out of the studio in his Nike Airmax, sippin' Evian, and wheel-spinning out of the car park in his 911.

[Levin]

Sharapova fails a dope test

This article gives a bit more insight into the creator.

The company that makes the drug seems to think that drugs are or should only be banned if they are dangerous not if they are performance enhancing.

[ursus arctos]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Thanks for that. It's enlightening.

The apparent ubiquity of this stuff reminds me of the extent of amphetamine use in baseball in the 60s and 70s, when locker rooms had large open jars of "greenies" for anyone to take and "leaded" and "unleaded" coffee as an alternative delivery system.

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Levin wrote: The company that makes the drug seems to think that drugs are or should only be banned if they are dangerous not if they are performance enhancing.

That isn't that far-fetched a position. There are performance enhancing substances that are legal. Creatine being the most famous example. There is no sharp line between PEDs and dietary supplements, it goes through shades of grey.

Substances are generally banned not solely because they might aid performance but because they do so with a health risk to whoever takes it. And that is not fair on those unwilling to risk their health to compete.

Something that is far-fetched is the idea that banning Meldonium will lead to deaths. Anyone at genuine risk would be able to get a Therapeutic Use Exemption.

[Sam]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Janik wrote:

The company that makes the drug seems to think that drugs are or should only be banned if they are dangerous not if they are performance enhancing.

That isn't that far-fetched a position. There are performance enhancing substances that are legal.

Someone on Twitter yesterday was saying that caffeine either is or has until recently been on WADA's watchlist...

[Jimski]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Janik wrote:

The company that makes the drug seems to think that drugs are or should only be banned if they are dangerous not if they are performance enhancing.

That isn't that far-fetched a position. There are performance enhancing substances that are legal. Creatine being the most famous example. There is no sharp line between PEDs and dietary supplements, it goes through shades of grey.

Substances are generally banned not solely because they might aid performance but because they do so with a health risk to whoever takes it. And that is not fair on those unwilling to risk their health to compete.

Indeed, that seems an eminently sensible way to distinguish between substances that should be banned and substances that should be legal.

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Sam wrote: Someone on Twitter yesterday was saying that caffeine either is or has until recently been on WADA's watchlist...

Cyclists have been banned for caffeine, I'm sure. But we are talking vast amounts of it to count as doping. It takes rather more than having a third cup of coffee with your breakfast.

[longeared]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Only one I can think of off the top of my head was Gianni Bugno in 1994. IIRC he argued that he had consumed a can of Coca Cola in the time between the race finishing and the test taking place so got something like a three month ban, some of which was in the off season. This tells you how the sport got into such a state.

[Janik]

Sharapova fails a dope test

Wikipedia gives a handful more names, most prominent being Olano (3 month ban in 1994).
That anyone was banned means it must once have been a prohibited substance. Ah, here we go, they moved to the monitoring list back in 2004 (where it still is, see note at the bottom).

[Antepli Ejderha]

Sharapova fails a dope test

It appears that this substance was used by close to 500 competitors in the Baku games last year, this story is going to have some legs.