ISU confirms more positive doping tests

[MsZem]

Cross-posting from the Bobrova/Soloviev thread:

Updates:
ISU confirms positive A-samples for other skaters. Cases will be disclosed If B-samples analysis positive.
http://www.isu.org/en/news-and-events/news/2016/03/statement-adverse-analytical-finding

No names provided yet, but it looks like this is going to be a major scandal in skating and in other sports.

I can understand people taking Meldonium so long as it was legal. But once it became illegal, it seems the height of stupidity and recklessness to continue taking it. What were all these athletes thinking?!

 

[morqet]

If the A sample is positive, but they request a B sample to be tested, do they carry on competing as if nothing happened until the 2nd results come back?

 

[supergirl573]

Speed skaters or figure skaters?

 

[Katha]

If the A sample is positive, but they request a B sample to be tested, do they carry on competing as if nothing happened until the 2nd results come back?

I don't think so?

 

[clairecloutier]

Speed skaters or figure skaters?

We don't know yet. The ISU didn't say which disciplines are involved.

OMG!! Worried about the effect this might have on Worlds. (And, of course, on the athletes.)

I don't understand---why did they keep taking it after it was banned!?

 

[barbk]

We don't know yet. The ISU didn't say which disciplines are involved.

OMG!! Worried about the effect this might have on Worlds. (And, of course, on the athletes.)

I don't understand---why did they keep taking it after it was banned!?

The test they're using may be much more sensitive than was thought, or the drug lingers longer than expected. I think I read in the other thread that it wasn't supposed to be detectable after 6 hours or so. Got to wonder if some athletes or trainers or physicians kept using it thinking that it would not be found.

 

[iris81]

From russian press - tomorrow will be opened b-samples of Elistratov and Konstantinova
http://rsport.ru/skating/20160309/902667743.html

 

[taz'smum]

The test they're using may be much more sensitive than was thought, or the drug lingers longer than expected. I think I read in the other thread that it wasn't supposed to be detectable after 6 hours or so. Got to wonder if some athletes or trainers or physicians kept using it thinking that it would not be found.

No, the half-life is 6 hours.

Yes, that means 50% of the drug has decayed after 6 hours,
but NO it doesn't mean that all of the drug has decayed after 12 hours.

The decay after 6 hours is exponential, i.e

After 6 hours 50% remains
After 12 hours 25% remains
After 18 hours 12.5% remains
After 24 hours 6.25% remains etc.....
​

It is possible the skater didn't understand this and thought they would be clear after 12 hours. It is not so likely a trained doctor would have made that mistake.

 

[cocotaffy]

I wonder if the concerned athletes are only Russian skaters ?

 

[BittyBug]

It is possible the skater didn't understand this and thought they would be clear after 12 hours. It is not so likely a trained doctor would have made that mistake.

But considering that all of these athletes are advised by doctors, I find it puzzling that there would be so many incidents. It seems like there must be more to the story.

 

[Deleted member 40371]

But considering that all of these athletes are advised by doctors, I find it puzzling that there would be so many incidents. It seems like there must be more to the story.

Maybe supplements are contaminated as well or WADA has much stronger testing mechanism that is able to detect the traces.

 

[rfisher]

Speed skaters or figure skaters?

The ISU announcement doesn't say. It just says certain skaters.

 

[Sylvia]

Associated Press article with headline Russian skaters hunt saboteurs after meldonium positives: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c4cb...c-wrestling-medalist-tests-positive-meldonium

At least three Russian speedskaters have tested positive for meldonium, the same medicine found in Maria Sharapova's sample at the Australian Open.
"In our specific case, there is a very high probability, and we will prove it, that the banned substance was planted on three athletes deliberately," skating federation president Alexei Kravtsov said. "According to our information, it was done by their teammates."

Olympic short-track skating champion Semyon Yelistratov and reigning world sprint champion Pavel Kulizhnikov have failed doping tests for meldonium. Kravtsov later told Russian agency R-Sport that meldonium had also been found in a sample given by short-track skater Ekaterina Konstantinova.
Kravtsov said the federation had hired British lawyers to prove their innocence.

 

[bardtoob]

The more I read about this, the more I am convince the athletes should experience full suspension. This drug has clearly been known to be a Soviet soldier's "go pill", and when I say Soviet soldier, I mean it properties have been known for decades.

 

[Skittl1321]

Cross-posting from the Bobrova/Soloviev thread:

No names provided yet, but it looks like this is going to be a major scandal in skating and in other sports.

I can understand people taking Meldonium so long as it was legal. But once it became illegal, it seems the height of stupidity and recklessness to continue taking it. What were all these athletes thinking?!

In one of the Sharpova interviews it looks like she said she took it under a different name and didn't make the connection. It's possible other athletes had the same issue but anytime the list gets revised, elite athletes and their teams should scrutinize the medicine they are taking. (Especially if they are likely taking it off label for it's beneficial side effects, which I really think most of the people taking this were. Even more so when finding out the Russian military used it for it's endurance effects!)

 

[Sylvia]

In one of the Sharapova interviews it looks like she said she took it under a different name and didn't make the connection.

"Mildronat" (Mildronate) - мельдоний (МИЛДРОНАТ) - was also included on the RUSADA website in Russian in the notice dated September 30, 2015: http://www.rusada.ru/press/day_news/meldonii-vnesen-v-zapreshchennyi-spisok-2016

This is the English version: http://www.rusada.ru/en/press/day_n...-class-s4-hormone-and-metabolic-modulators-of

Meldonium (Mildronat) will be added to the Class S4 (HORMONE AND METABOLIC MODULATORS) of the WADA Prohibited List 2016
September 30, 2015
Dear colleagues! Please take a note that from the 1st of January 2016 Meldonium (Mildronat) will be prohibited both in in-completion and in out-of-competition period. Meldonium is added to the Class S4 (HORMONE AND METABOLIC MODULATORS) of the WADA Prohibited List 2016. Athletes must stop taking this substance in advance, as of the 1st of January 2016 the detection of this substance in the Athlete's sample would be considered as an anti-doping rules violation.

ETA: http://fortune.com/2016/03/09/maria-sharapova-drug-test-warning/

A report in the Times of London on Wednesday says that Sharapova had no fewer than five instances to learn about meldonium being added as an illegal substances. The newspaper says that in December, the International Tennis Federation and the Women’s Tennis Association issued a combined five separate warnings to tennis players—Sharapova included—that the drug would be added as a banned substance. That followed a general notice from the World Anti-Doping Agency in September.

 

[Skittl1321]

Thanks Sylvia. I was giving her the benefit of doubt on her excuse...

 

[Vash01]

Cross-posting from the Bobrova/Soloviev thread:


No names provided yet, but it looks like this is going to be a major scandal in skating and in other sports.

I can understand people taking Meldonium so long as it was legal. But once it became illegal, it seems the height of stupidity and recklessness to continue taking it. What were all these athletes thinking?!

It may not be stupidity. It could be a misinterpretation or ignorance. From what I am reading, the drug was listed under a different name. There could be a lot of different reasons and/or interpretations.

It hasn't been proven yet that the athletes took the drug after Jan. 1st, 2016. What if they took it in Sept./Oct. and the traces remained in the body? I think a lot of information needs to come out before we can draw conclusions and make judgments.

I am surprised that a Russian official said that 3 skaters failed the test because their teammates sabotaged them. I am very curious about this. One of those skaters could be Borbrova- based on her and Dima's statements. I wonder who the others could be? If they are caught, I hope there will be heavy punishments for the guilty skaters.

 

[Vash01]

"Mildronat" (Mildronate) was also included on the RUSADA website in Russian -
мельдоний (МИЛДРОНАТ): http://www.rusada.ru/press/day_news/meldonii-vnesen-v-zapreshchennyi-spisok-2016

This is the English version: http://www.rusada.ru/en/press/day_n...-class-s4-hormone-and-metabolic-modulators-of

Meldonium (Mildronat) will be added to the Class S4 (HORMONE AND METABOLIC MODULATORS) of the WADA Prohibited List 2016
September 30, 2015
Dear colleagues! Please take a note that from the 1st of January 2016 Meldonium (Mildronat) will be prohibited both in in-completion and in out-of-competition period. Meldonium is added to the Class S4 (HORMONE AND METABOLIC MODULATORS) of the WADA Prohibited List 2016. Athletes must stop taking this substance in advance, as of the 1st of January 2016 the detection of this substance in the Athlete's sample would be considered as an anti-doping rules violation.

This sounds pretty clear. I don't see how anyone could be confused. Sharapova's case was different- it was negligence, and she admitted her mistake. With so many athletes failing the test, an investigation seems necessary as to why so many of them failed.

I suspect that some of them thought that they cannot take the drug, starting Jan. 1st, 2016, or close to it. However, the WADA warning is pretty clear- stop taking it in advance (my interpretation of this would be 'immediately' to be on the safe side).

 

[love_skate2011]

It may not be stupidity. It could be a misinterpretation or ignorance. From what I am reading, the drug was listed under a different name. There could be a lot of different reasons and/or interpretations.

It hasn't been proven yet that the athletes took the drug after Jan. 1st, 2016. What if they took it in Sept./Oct. and the traces remained in the body? I think a lot of information needs to come out before we can draw conclusions and make judgments.

I am surprised that a Russian official said that 3 skaters failed the test because their teammates sabotaged them. I am very curious about this. One of those skaters could be Borbrova- based on her and Dima's statements. I wonder who the others could be? If they are caught, I hope there will be heavy punishments for the guilty skaters.

SinKats did it

 

[lala]

I don't know it was posted or not... Plushenko about Mildronat http://evgeni-plushenko.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=90456#p90456

"Mildronat" we considered like ascorbic acid (vitamin C - harmless "extra" medicine). But since it was banned, the athlete should not to accept it. Athletes in the body which was detected banned substance meldonium, should go further and work. I would like to express my support to them. I was also disqualified. However, not for doping, but for the behavior. Nothing, survived. Though, certainly, a 4-years of disqualification - it is a heavy blow.
....
I'm a competitor, as well as others. We have doctors who have to watch this, need to be responsible for such things for athletes. They're responsible and adults....

- Did you know that "Mildronat" was forbidden to use since the beginning of the year?
- Again, "Mildronat" was as ascorbic acid for us. I'm not sure that it have any effect. But if it's not allowed - it can not be used. Roughly speaking, if you can not drink five cups of coffee, you can not, because you can get caught for doping, there would be some increased response. There is a law, and it works on all athletes.
The fact that on this matter "took" 5 athletes for two days, I do not know it's Conspiracy Theory or not, as someone told me. Again, I'm an athlete, rejoice people with my creativity, we have the higher authorities who can answer this question...

 

[morqet]

It hasn't been proven yet that the athletes took the drug after Jan. 1st, 2016. What if they took it in Sept./Oct. and the traces remained in the body? I think a lot of information needs to come out before we can draw conclusions and make judgments.

It has been posted multiple times on these threads & said by Bobrova herself that the the amount that showed in the sample means that they could only have taken the substance some time in the day before the doping test.

 

[StitchMonkey]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/m...eed-skaters-says-skating-federation-1.3483196

Speed skating prez is on record that his athletes were sabotaged... no idea what he thinks happened to the rest of them.

Get out the popcorn...

 

[DimaToe]

Even though i'd rather not see any figure skaters fail doping tests, I'm praying to the skate gods that a Russian lady isn't involved in all of this, they are already critiqued enough as it is, I cannot even imagine if doping was added to that list

 

[Kultakissu]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/m...eed-skaters-says-skating-federation-1.3483196

Speed skating prez is on record that his athletes were sabotaged... no idea what he thinks happened to the rest of them.

Get out the popcorn...

Well, for years people have been saying that another scandal was required to put skating on the map again. Perhaps this is it?

 

[StitchMonkey]

Well, for years people have been saying that another scandal was required to put skating on the map again. Perhaps this is it?

... and if the scandal leads to no Russians at worlds... USA might actually get back on the ladies podium.... then again even without any Russians I could see them managing a pewter best showing.

 

[Xela M]

I understand(ish) the skating cases, but Sharapova's case is beyond my comprehension. She had too much at stake to take doping from a Russian family doctor. Is her medical team not American?! Can't she afford more sophisticated drugs?

The "I didn't check the WADA list" excuse is beyond ridiculous for someone who is now at risk of losing over £100mio

 

[zebraswan]

Even though i'd rather not see any figure skaters fail doping tests, I'm praying to the skate gods that a Russian lady isn't involved in all of this, they are already critiqued enough as it is, I cannot even imagine if doping was added to that list

If any of them failed at Euros then they wouldn't have been put on the Worlds team, and the drug has only been banned since Jan. 1.

If there was really sabotage, it seems counterproductive for one's teammates to do it since it could end up causing the entire team to be banned. I hate conspiracy theories, but stranger things have happened in Russia (Bolshoi acid attack comes to mind). I just really hope there are no additional figure skaters involved.

 

[bardtoob]

Like Vitamin C . . . . . . LIKE VITAMIN C ON STERIODS!

And it is the athletes fault if they employ bad doctors.

 

[peibeck]

I understand(ish) the skating cases, but Sharapova's case is beyond my comprehension. She had too much at stake to take doping from a Russian family doctor. Is her medical team not American?! Can't she afford more sophisticated drugs?

The "I didn't check the WADA list" excuse is beyond ridiculous for someone who is now at risk of losing over £100mio

Yeah, the Sharapova find is especially puzzling to me. I mean, she has lived and trained in the U.S. since (I think) 1994, and this drug is not available in the U.S., how was she obtaining a regular prescription of this? And could there be further penalties if she was bringing it into the U.S.?