Bobrova and Soloviev out of Worlds

[Daena]

OMG, and Sharapova?

 

[Rae35]

The ISU has an anti doping policy that is in line with WADA. That requires every federation to have similar. The information is equally available to all athletes. The burden is on the athlete to comply.

 

[Xela M]

Once again, it is indicated for heart disease - chest pain and heart attack. Otherwise, it's a performance enhancing substance (see my original post earlier). And there is no evidence that has been presented that Bobrova had this prescribed for a heart condition. She did not appear to have any medical reason to take this; therefore, her use of it (recall that she admitted to using it last fall) was likely for performance enhancement.

As for other conditions like asthma, there are many drugs available for treatment (and methods of administration) that don't violate these rules. And I don't get the impression that this drugs was used by athletes for medical indications considering someone who has a heart attack or angina is highly unlikely to be a Olympic athlete.

People should get off their high horses. It may be a shock to many, but if a drug is LEGAL and it has the effect of enhancing an athlete's performance, they will take it. Athletes want to win and if they can take a LEGAL supplement to help them win, there is nothing wrong in taking it

 

[Vash01]

Very strange quotes. It sounds like he's only sorry that it happened now?

I believe he means that they were about to make a comeback at worlds, after missing an entire year, so this is the worst possible time. I see nothing strange about it. Many of us have posted similar regrets about this happening at this time (so close to worlds).

 

[BittyBug]

And perhaps I'd be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt more if she hadn't admitted to using this performance enhancing substance for no apparent medical reason previously and voluntarily.

And it was perfectly legal when she took it. Or should all legal performance enhancing substances of any kind whatsoever be banned? Caffeine, for starters?

 

[bronwynsings]

Somewhat related: Maria Sharapova, the tennis player, also just announced today she tested positive for the same drug, meldonium:

https://twitter.com/WTA_insider/status/706934317830709249

 

[Rafter]

Sharapova has just announced that she failed a test at the Australian Open for the same thing.

Wow.

 

[Vash01]

I can only see 3 explanations:

- She intentionally doped herself, and hoped she wouldn't get caught, and is now lying.

- A mistake were made. Either by the doctor, the person who helped the doctor, the person who supplied the doctor, the shipper, the labeller, the medicine production. (I include 'the doctor was clueless about the WADA change' here).

- Some conspiracy involving someone intentionally doped her to get rid of them at worlds and/or wanting to destroy their career.

Which of these sound more likely? hmm...

EDIT: removed weird. I guess in could be a straight forward, logical conspiracy.

I believe a mistake was made by someone; we may not know who.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

Sharapova?!?!!?!?!?!?

WTF!

 

[Xela M]

I believe a mistake was made by someone; we may not know who.

But Dima's post suggests he firmly believes it wasn't a mistake. Why would he post that?

 

[Yazmeen]

There can be any reasons for using a heart medication; it's not necessary to have a heart condition for it. Some doctors prescribe low dose aspirin to people that have no heart condition whatsoever. I am not a doctor but I have heard of medicines for one part of the body being used for another. We don't know why she was taking this medicine. Unless you have expertise in the field, all this speculation is pointless.

This is not low dose aspirin. it is a drug specifically designed to treat angina and heart attack and has only been experimented with in neurological disorders. A person needing this drug for its approved medical indications is highly unlikely to be a top level Olympic athlete. It has been widely stated that this drug has been used in Russia for performance enhancement. You can make all the excuses you like, but Bobrova wouldn't be a competitive athlete with the disease level that this drug is indicated for. The drug was likely being used for performance enhancement, and it was in her system after it was made illegal. With a half-life of only several hours, it had to have been administered to her during the competition. No matter how well anyone thinks of Bobrova, the simple fact it that is being in her system constituted doping in the Fed's eyes, and she has to pay the price, even if she didn't do this consciously and someone else did it to her.

 

[Garden Kitty]

A Russian cyclist also tested positive for this substance in January.

 

[love_skate2011]

Somewhat related: Maria Sharapova, the tennis player, also just announced today she tested positive for the same drug, meldonium:

https://twitter.com/WTA_insider/status/706934317830709249

the same drug used by Sharapova

banned as of Jan 1 2016

 

[Jeschke]

Somewhat related: Maria Sharapova, the tennis player, also just announced today she tested positive for the same drug, meldonium:

https://twitter.com/WTA_insider/status/706934317830709249

holy crap. down goes my tennis hero.
can this day get worse?

 

[Xela M]

This is not low dose aspirin. it is a drug specifically designed to treat angina and heart attack and has only been experimented with in neurological disorders. A person needing this drug for its approved medical indications is highly unlikely to be a top level Olympic athlete. It has been widely stated that this drug has been used in Russia for performance enhancement. You can make all the excuses you like, but Bobrova wouldn't be a competitive athlete with the disease level that this drug is indicated for. The drug was likely being used for performance enhancement, and it was in her system after it was made illegal. With a half-life of only several hours, it had to have been administered to her during the competition. No matter how well anyone thinks of Bobrova, the simple fact it that is being in her system constituted doping in the Fed's eyes, and she has to pay the price, even if she didn't do this consciously and someone else did it to her.

We all get that it was performance enhancing, but it was LEGAL last year when Bobrova says she took it!

No one is disputing she knew it was banned this year and somehow gotninto her system before Euros. The question is "how" and who administered it it and for what purpose

 

[Gil-Galad]

There can be any reasons for using a heart medication; it's not necessary to have a heart condition for it. Some doctors prescribe low dose aspirin to people that have no heart condition whatsoever. I am not a doctor but I have heard of medicines for one part of the body being used for another. We don't know why she was taking this medicine. Unless you have expertise in the field, all this speculation is pointless.

Well, I don't know where you live, but in my country you still need a damn good reason to prescribe someone aspirin (doesn't have to be the heart, can be anything from clotting disorder to arterial stenosis) - which is still a blood thinner and can have serious side effects.

Unless someone suffers from coronary heart disease or similar conditions, there does not seem to exist a good reason to take this drug, legal or not. Physicians who advocate it break their oath and athletes who take it are either very naive or have lost a feeling for fairness.

 

[oleada]

I feel bad for Bobrova (and even more so for Soloviev) but I also find the "my competitors/doctor/whoever doped me" incredibly unlikely. I do think she should face consequences as it's on her. That said, if there's a drug that isn't banned and provides some sort of benefit, I'm sure it's widely used, by everyone. Shrug. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Sharapova

 

[BlueRidge]

Sharapova's statement she says she made a mistake, so she is not making any claim that she did not knowingly take the drug. So the apparently its not that unlikely that an athlete might do this?

 

[Yazmeen]

People should get off their high horses. It may be a shock to many, but if a drug is LEGAL and it has the effect of enhancing an athlete's performance, they will take it. Athletes want to win and if they can take a LEGAL supplement to help them win, there is nothing wrong in taking it

That's all well and good except that she had it in her system 6 months after athletes were notified it would be a banned substance as of this year. And I'm sorry if presenting medical evidence is a "high horse" in your opinion, but it seems a lot of people here cannot accept that she was disciplined for having an illegal substance in her body and are determined to insist that she is either being wronged or is an innocent who had something evil done to her. I don't know exactly what happened, but considering that she used the drug before, it's at least plausible she tried to use it again and not get caught or had it administered to her without checking into exactly what she was receiving. In the end, it's sad, especially for her partner, but the decision to discipline her is not unfair.

 

[Vash01]

Since a number of athletes in different sports are reporting something similar, I wonder if there was a communication problem of some kind? Of course the change in the legal/illegal status of the drug won't apply to athletes who were not taking it at all.

 

[MsZem]

holy crap. down goes my tennis hero.
can this day get worse?

Oh, it could have - imagine if Stolbova had also had a positive test!

(certainly I have no reason to believe that this is a possibility)

I'm sorry if presenting medical evidence is a "high horse" in your opinion, but it seems a lot of people here cannot accept that she was disciplined for having an illegal substance in her body and are determined to insist that she is either being wronged or is an innocent who had something evil done to her.

It's not an illegal substance, it's a (newly) banned substance in sports. I feel that this is still a distinction worth making. YMMV.

 

[Vash01]

Well, I don't know where you live, but in my country you still need a damn good reason to prescribe someone aspirin (doesn't have to be the heart, can be anything from clotting disorder to arterial stenosis) - which is still a blood thinner and can have serious side effects.

Unless someone suffers from coronary heart disease or similar conditions, there does not seem to exist a good reason to take this drug, legal or not. Physicians who advocate it break their oath and athletes who take it are either very naive or have lost a feeling for fairness.

Here in the USA it is used as preventative. You don't need to have any kind of heart problem. Of course they wouldn't prescribe it to a healthy 25 year old, but they may to a healthy 50 or 55 year old.

 

[morqet]

Sharapova's statement she says she made a mistake, so she is not making any claim that she did not knowingly take the drug. So the apparently its not that unlikely that an athlete might do this?

Yes. In the press conference she said she had been taking it as prescription medicine for years due to worrying ECG test results. She also said she didn't check the updated list of banned substances when it was circulated by WADA at the end of last year & that the whole situation is her responsibility.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Since a number of athletes in different sports are reporting something similar, I wonder if there was a communication problem of some kind? Of course the change in the legal/illegal status of the drug won't apply to athletes who were not taking it at all.

I don't think so. Sharapova and Bobrova both said they received the updates from WADA. Sharapova said she did not look at them, and that it was her fault for not doing so. Bobrova, however, said she did know that the substance was now banned. So it doesn't sound like a communication problem. The athletes did get the updated list, and they know they are responsible for what's on it. If they don't look at the list, then that's on them - as Sharapova admits. And if they do look at the list, they need to be vigilant - as Bobrova said she was, which is why she is questioning how her test came back positive.

 

[Sylvia]

Sharapova has just announced that she failed a test at the Australian Open for the same thing. She says she was originally prescribed it for heart issues 10 years ago.

Thanks. Sharapova just ended her press conference - I've started a thread in Other Sports: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...-she-has-tested-positive-for-meldonium.98109/

 

[Vash01]

Oh, it could have - imagine if Stolbova had also had a positive test!

(certainly I have no reason to believe that this is a possibility)


It's not an illegal substance, it's a (newly) banned substance in sports. I feel that this is still a distinction worth making. YMMV.

Imagine if one of the American skaters tested positive for this or any other drug? We may not hear much about it. The benefit of the doubt would go first to the athlete.

 

[Daena]

Sharapova's statement she says she made a mistake, so she is not making any claim that she did not knowingly take the drug. So the apparently its not that unlikely that an athlete might do this?

Well, in Sharapova's case it's extremely weird situation.
I mean, have you seen her entourage? She has about 10 people working for her, whose job is to keep an eye on everything around her, some of these star tennis players have their own nutritionists.
And because she "didn't check her e-mail" she continiued to use a med which she was using for 10 years.
Wow.

 

[casken]

I'm crushed. I'm stunned.

I can't really say anything else right now.

 

[analia]

Am I the only one wondering why this is coming out a month after Euros? And at the same day as Sharapova?

 

[WildRose]

For anyone who was hoping that it was only Russian track and field athletes who were using performance enhancing drugs this is bad news. And yes I do know this drug was "legal" up until January - but it was being used for performance enhancement & that is wrong. I now have to seriously wonder what kind of drugs they used to get Plushy through the Olympic team event. Russia has some extremely talented and hardworking athletes - it's a shame to see them risking their health in this way.