Tennis star Maria Sharapova announced she has tested positive for a recently banned drug (meldonium)

[Spareoom]

But the thing is, didn't Maria basically say that she took the drug after the cutoff date? I thought the people who are getting appeals approved are people who insisted that they did NOT take the drug after the date (and therefore had trace amounts that triggered false positives). The drug is still banned, isn't it? Or did they remove the ban for the time being? It's all very confusing.

 

[tamuno]

No. From what I understand WADA is not sure how long the drug remains in the system if someone can prove they stopped taking it as soon as they saw the notice. These ones I believe will get their bans lifted if they did comply but are unaware that there are still traces in their system. Sharapova simply took the drug until she was caught so this does not apply to her. To me her case is open and shut - doping and negligence.

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/36482288

Banned for two years (obviously she'll appeal)

 

[Sylvia]

Sharapova's response on FB: https://www.facebook.com/sharapova/posts/10153477001037680

While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension. The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years. I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

 

[hydro]

She is a master spinner (except for her top spin). The tribunal did find her of wrong-doing, which is why she got banned for 2 years.

For the amount of time she was doping, 2 years is very lenient.

 

[Lorac]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/36482288

Banned for two years (obviously she'll appeal)

Yep she's appealing and I suspect it will be lowered to 1 year or 18 months. But that at least answers the question regarding the Olympics - she's not going to be there.

 

[Rottie]

Wow, I didn't really expect that. At her age, this may effectively put an end to her tennis career. Also, she's been a very high-paid athlete in part because she's had a lot of sponsors, but most of them have dropped her (and who wants to sponsor a suspended athlete who's been convicted of doping?). This is a real change of life direction for her. I hope it's a major deterrent to other athletes who might be tempted to seek an advantage through questionable, if not currently illegal, "medical" treatments. Aside from the issue of unfairness, using substances for other than their intended purpose puts athletes at risk for who knows what side effects, especially when use is long term.

 

[tamuno]

Lorac, did you read the full tribunal text?? I doubt that will happen. From the text she is lucky to get 2 yrs.

 

[Sylvia]

did you read the full tribunal text??

For those interested, it's 33 pages long: http://www.itftennis.com/media/231178/231178.pdf

 

[hydro]

I am a little confused by how Sharapova can continue. Wasn't her statement that she had been taking the drug for medical reasons? So if she needs the drug for medical reasons and not as a PED, then how can she continue to play? Is she going to take alternative medication, and if so, why did she not do so when the meldonium got banned?

 

[Lorac]

Lorac, did you read the full tribunal text?? I doubt that will happen. From the text she is lucky to get 2 yrs.

I still think she will appeal and it will get reduced from 2 years - that is my opinion

 

[LilJen]

Fact check: do Maria Sharapova’s responses over her failed test stand up?
While plenty of questions still remain over Sharapova’s long-term use of meldonium, a look at how her answers so far fare in the face of close scrutiny
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/09/fact-check-maria-sharapova-failed-test-meldonium

ETA:

Christine Brennan: Maria Sharapova can't avoid lengthy suspension

Why was Maria Sharapova taking meldonium? Her lawyer responds
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/10/maria-sharapova-meldonium-drugs-lawyer-explains

Gads, her lawyer is awful. "She wasn't taking meldonium, she was taking mildronate." Um, dude, SAME THING. This lawyer gets the "duh" award for not realizing that most medications have a chemical name and one or more commercial names. She and her whole team get one for apparently not paying a whit of attention to the several announcements about meldonium being banned.

 

[topaz]

I still think she will appeal and it will get reduced from 2 years - that is my opinion

So do I. She has already stated she will appeal. I think the ban will reduced to one year perhaps.

 

[tamuno]

I think the ban will reduced to one year perhaps.

Highly doubtful.