ESPN adds more in its report on WADA and meldonium – basing it off the Associated Press. Sharapova failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January (test was taken on Jan 25), so she also falls in this category and could thus benefit with a milder or better still, no punishment at all.
Advertisement
But numerous athletes have claimed they stopped taking the drug a year ago, prompting many to question how long the drug can stay in an athlete’s system.
Meldonium, manufactured for people suffering from heart problems, can also increase blood flow and improve exercise capacity.
The chief executive of Maria Sharapova’s racket sponsor has called for an amnesty to be given to athletes who took meldonium for proven medical reasons.
The five times Grand Slam had said she did not realize the drugs she had been using for the past 10 years was declared a banned substance by WADA on January 1 2016.
Russian sports was in the centre of doping-related scandals since the fall of 2014.
“WADA has demonstrated impartiality and being objective in the fight against doping”.
In clarification WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie, said: “There is no doubt as to the status of meldonium as a prohibited substance”.
WADA says it is undertaking studies on the drug, and the current guidance will stand until the results are available.
Meldonium was added to the WADA’s list of banned substances in January, just before the start of the tournament.
Among them are tennis star Maria Sharapova, Olympic medallist in swimming Yulia Efimova and Olympic medallist in speed skating Pavel Kulizhnikov.
A Wada spokesman said talk of an amnesty was “wide of the mark” and that the document was created to clarify the position. “Rather, it serves as guidance for how anti-doping organizations should assess the particular circumstances of each individual case under their jurisdiction”.
Russia has been particularly badly hit by the meldonium scandal with track and field athletes and swimmers among about 40 Russians caught.
Sharapova’s lawyer, John Haggerty, said on Wednesday that WADA handled the issue “poorly” and was now trying to make up for it.
Advertisement
Every time an athlete gets busted for doping, please never forget that the people banning the substances and determining the testing protocols are self-promoting hucksters and moralizing cranks, and never met a headline they couldn’t hump, science be damned. In both cases, the drug could still be in the athletes’ system from before January 1.
