Sharapova busted for meldonium

77 wrote:

Of course it's not an excuse, but I feel sorry for her and those others since I'm sure it's just a silly human mistake.

I really can't believe that any elite athlete would want to knowingly risk a career-ending ban just because of some meldonium. It's not EPO, HGH or testosterone. It's impact on performance is rather insignificant compared to other drugs.

She made $29 million last year according to Forbes. But she doesn't have a coach, doctor, agent, trainer, etc. who keeps track of these things and tells her what drugs are banned? I find that hard to believe.

It has been on the watch list since the beginning of 2015 so not a sudden suprosie inclusion

Decreased levels of lactate and urea in blood

Improved economy of glycogen: level of glycogen increased in the cells during the long-lasting exercise

Increased endurance properties and aerobic capabilities of athletes

Improved functional parameters of heart activity

Increased physical work capabilities

Increased rate of recovery after maximal and sub-maximal loads

Activates CNS functions and protects against stress

77 wrote:

Of course it's not an excuse, but I feel sorry for her and those others since I'm sure it's just a silly human mistake.

I really can't believe that any elite athlete would want to knowingly risk a career-ending ban just because of some meldonium. It's not EPO, HGH or testosterone. It's impact on performance is rather insignificant compared to other drugs.

Hold on a second, buster. Sharapova at her press conference claimed full responsibility, not even blaming her doctor. Wouldn't you as a doctor of a high profile athlete notify them clearly & immediately when a drug becomes banned. To give the doctor a pass is complete BS.

Also, she started taking meldonium in 2006 for health issues.....yet she continued taking it after she recovered from her health issues. Obviously her team knew (2007 onwards) that meldonium had an enhancing benefit to her tennis game, which is why she continued taking it long after her health had improved. Obviously her team knew well before WADA that meldonium had an enhancing benefit far beyond general health.

Well as funny as it may sound I believe that her team missed this, probably the fact about the rather long life cycle in the body of 2+ months.

I first heard that meldonium will be banned from Jan 1, 2016 only in mid October 2015. So I'm pretty sure that many many athletes missed this. Adding the rather long life cycle it means it's very likely.

Any athlete at this level must be monitoring everything he or she is taking. Why on earth would she continue to take something that had been banned effective 1/1/16? She must have known the ban was coming in to effect. Or did she and all of her team really miss that?

messi wrote:

Obviously her team knew (2007 onwards) that meldonium had an enhancing benefit to her tennis game, which is why she continued taking it long after her health had improved. Obviously her team knew well before WADA that meldonium had an enhancing benefit far beyond general health.

laufmutti wrote:

There are likely going to be more positives, sadly there won't be any retrospective positives. I think most athletes will be off of it by Rio, especially after some high profile positives.

Everyone who tested positive before March 1 will probably get away with it. The drug stays in the body for too long to punish anyone. Unless they're stupid and admit they took it in 2016.

77 wrote:

As I wrote in the other thread, before judging these athletes as dopers, let's not forget that meldonium was added to the prohibited substance list only starting with January 1, 2016. Combined with that meldonium has pretty long lifecycle of 2 months in the body she could have taken it in late November 2015 when it was still legal and tested positive for doping this January or even early February.

In upcoming months we will see a lot of athletes falling for meldonium. Some of them might have not been informed that it is included in the prohibited substance list, some might have forgotten but most I suppose might have not known that it's life cycle in the body is that long and were taking it till the end of the year.

This is a serious drug for serious medical conditions. What elite athlete would take this without looking into what it's all about? What elite athlete would take anything without checking with WADA. WADA maintains a list of banned and prohibitive substances. Plus, if it was actually used for her health, couldn't she have gotten a TUE?

You obviously don't understand. Meldonium life cycle is more that 2 months. You could have taken it while it was still legal in late Oct 2015 and tested positive in early Feb 2016.

Latest news is that it's very likely that everyone who will be tested positive before March 01, 2016 will be justified.

How do these athletes all know about these mess ? Who tells who ? Like what else is out there that we don't know much about that they are taking ?

Doesn't make sense wrote:

Any athlete at this level must be monitoring everything he or she is taking. Why on earth would she continue to take something that had been banned effective 1/1/16? She must have known the ban was coming in to effect. Or did she and all of her team really miss that?

messi wrote:

Obviously her team knew (2007 onwards) that meldonium had an enhancing benefit to her tennis game, which is why she continued taking it long after her health had improved. Obviously her team knew well before WADA that meldonium had an enhancing benefit far beyond general health.

Maria said at her press conference that she got an e-mail (either from WTA or WADA, probably WTA) outlining the new agents being banned effective 1/1/2016. She said she didn't bother to click on the link to the newly banned drugs, ergo blaming herself. But my point - why didn't her medical team double-check (checks & balances) knowing that she had historically taken this newly banned meldonium?

Great. Now prices are gonna go way up.

I don't think anyone will walk with a slap on the wrist...Sharapova wouldn't have kept quite. WADA would announce the new list many months before it becomes live...its down to the athletes to make they are clean on the 1st Jan - no excuses.

Big boy11 wrote:

How do these athletes all know about these mess ? Who tells who ? Like what else is out there that we don't know much about that they are taking ?

Telmisartan

Cytomel

Everyone knows what the "gray-area-not-been-banned-yet" stuff like meldonium is. It's the designer stuff (no other purpose than as a ped) that only the top guys have access to that's the big secret.

Big boy11 wrote:

How do these athletes all know about these mess ? Who tells who ? Like what else is out there that we don't know much about that they are taking ?

They all take tons of legal or "gray zone" drugs. It's not like they have huge staffs that sift through every new little rule that comes from some sports ministry.

You obviously don't understand. Sharapova has not made any claim to this defense. She has implicitly stated--maybe explicitly?--that she continued taking the drug in 2016.

77 wrote:

You obviously don't understand. Meldonium life cycle is more that 2 months. You could have taken it while it was still legal in late Oct 2015 and tested positive in early Feb 2016.

Latest news is that it's very likely that everyone who will be tested positive before March 01, 2016 will be justified.

messi wrote:

Maria said at her press conference that she got an e-mail (either from WTA or WADA, probably WTA) outlining the new agents being banned effective 1/1/2016. She said she didn't bother to click on the link to the newly banned drugs, ergo blaming herself. But my point - why didn't her medical team double-check (checks & balances) knowing that she had historically taken this newly banned meldonium?

It was on the watch list for a couple of years. You think they would have kept track of it long ago.

I made a mistake isn't a defence, it should still be a 2 year ban.

many athletes, more rules wrote:

Big boy11 wrote:

How do these athletes all know about these mess ? Who tells who ? Like what else is out there that we don't know much about that they are taking ?

They all take tons of legal or "gray zone" drugs. It's not like they have huge staffs that sift through every new little rule that comes from some sports ministry.

Ya remember when osafa powells room got busted

The place was like a pharmacy

Every gray zone supplement you could name he was takin it