Sharapova -- 2-Year Ban

1000 wrote:

“I have no doubt it’s a powerful performance-enhancing drug,” Conte said. “It’s a stamina benefit. You don’t get tired, you just keep rocking. You’d be like the Energizer Bunny during sparring.”

http://boxingjunkie.usatoday.com/2016/05/13/alexander-povetkin-meldonium-deontay-wilder-title-fight/

“Regardless of what other experts say, I believe meldonium is a powerful PED w/ notable stamina & endurance gains”

https://twitter.com/VictorConte/status/731224844537208833

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Victor Conte?

He is a saleman.

I like how he says "other experts" as if he himself is an expert.

He is an expert in performance-enhancing drugs and in beating drug testers.

He has a proven track record in doing this. This makes him a real expert in doping.

He is not a theoretical doping expert. He has actually tested doping products on himself and on elite athletes.

To the best of my knowledge, he does not sell meldonium.

asdfgh wrote:

Kontract wrote:

So, because she is not competing Nike can save money by dumping here completely. Will Nike force her to allow them to match any new contract and its terms a competitor might offer?

Nike dumped her in March.

Things changed at Nike TODAY!!!

The total annual budget of WADA is about $30 million dollars.

Maria 'Meldonium (mildronate)' Sharapova has an annual income of about $30 million dollars per year.

The comparison tells you all you need to know about how important WADA is compared to how important Maria Sharapova is in the world of sport on planet earth.

Metric Miler wrote:

Interesting. Time and time again we see that "too big to fall" doesn't seem to apply when it comes to drug bans, despite the words of cycnics.

Sharapova and Lance are big enough names for me to believe the likes of Farah and Rupp are not just being let off.

My impression is that people don't think they are too big to be caught, but that Salazar is too clever for the testers.

Does everyone think they are doing more than the TUE stuff they've admitted? Does everyone think they are bogus TUEs? Is that it?

Or does everyone think that because Salazar tested a testosterone gel on his sons, that means they are exploiting testosterone, by dosing on it up to the legal limit? Is that it?

Are they suspected of being on HGH, steroids of some sort, or EPO?

notrump wrote:

Any actual evidence that meldonium actually improves performance in any way?

Who cares? It's on the banned list.

Karma Police wrote:

Metric Miler wrote:

Interesting. Time and time again we see that "too big to fall" doesn't seem to apply when it comes to drug bans, despite the words of cycnics.

Sharapova and Lance are big enough names for me to believe the likes of Farah and Rupp are not just being let off.

My impression is that people don't think they are too big to be caught, but that Salazar is too clever for the testers.

He is not cleaver. He has a lab that can test to levels as good, or better, than the USADA and WADA can. Constantly testing your own athletes is how you stay out of "harms" way.

Patrick Arnold was the one who knew about the chemistry and would be qualified to speak about whether meldonium is or is not a PED.

Arnold not only synthesized the schedules but also gave the model dosages, cycles, etc.

Conte was an effective salesman. He continues to be an effective self-promoter. He does not know anything about Meldonium or the chemistry behind it. He does not have the qualifications to know anything about it.

It's a little late now to argue that they should go easy on Sharapova because Meldonium is supposedly ineffective. She took it because she thought it was effective despite it being on the banned list. "I didn't do a good job of doping" is not an excuse.

"I didn't know" is also not an excuse with doping. You are responsible for what's in your body. Otherwise you get all of the crap about steroids being put in toothpaste, being splashed on your genitals while running through polluted rainwater, and all of the other ridiculous excuses. She had a banned substance in her body and her excuses don't matter.

Meldovapova wrote:

It's a little late now to argue that they should go easy on Sharapova because Meldonium is supposedly ineffective. She took it because she thought it was effective despite it being on the banned list. "I didn't do a good job of doping" is not an excuse.

"I didn't know" is also not an excuse with doping. You are responsible for what's in your body. Otherwise you get all of the crap about steroids being put in toothpaste, being splashed on your genitals while running through polluted rainwater, and all of the other ridiculous excuses. She had a banned substance in her body and her excuses don't matter.

Bingo!

Since Maria makes about $30 million per year by being on a tennis court playing tennis in front of people, it is then her responsibility to make sure that she does not take anything that would get in the way of her being on a tennis court playing tennis in front of people (and grunting a lot).

The standard ban is 4 years now in track. Her 2 year ban will probably be reduced even more on appeal.

As Nike is now involved again, I thought some soothing words from Bad Wigins about Nike would work well here:

Bad Wigins wrote:

Props to Asbel Kiprop for REFUSING to run fast in the Bowerman Mile. Stick it to the swoosh.

Whatchagonnado baby? He's Asbel MF Kiprop. Poor fierce Blankenship near DFL behind a jogging Kiprop. Who else ya got OTC? Centro? LMAO you suck Nike, cheat cheat cheat and you still lose every single time. Rupp already relegated to marathon...

You point fingers at the Russians, get all their '08 samples retested all the while your FILTHY US sprint corps skates by unscathed... you're not fooling anyone... also your track sucks and is no place for a tier 1 event like WC and you know it. You can't even pay for it your own billionaire self, you have to rip off the Oregon taxpayers. You should be run out of America and go live in Vietnam and eat freaking rice every day.

Go Bad Wigins!

I'm shocked people are standing up for her. She cheated and has been caught and banned.

The reason she and others were taking this was because it was a PED. The reason is was placed on the banned list was because it's a PED. Saying "Sorry I made a mistake and didn't realise it was on the banned list" isn't an argument to avoid a ban. Take responsibility for what goes in your body.

As for Nike sticking by her, sadly it doesn't surprise me. They're the go to company for drug cheats.

Pilgrim Scott wrote:

The reason she and others were taking this was because it was a PED. The reason is was placed on the banned list was because it's a PED...

Whenever the debate takes this turn I find myself thinking it is after all an athlete's job to enhance performance. Why stepping into a nitro bath at the Oregon Project (not available to the majority of athletes - too expensive) is ok, while taking stimulants which are not after all illegal (and are more available, more affordable, create more of a level playing field) is not ok, is, at least temporarily, puzzling.

Pilgrim Scott wrote:

I'm shocked people are standing up for her. She cheated and has been caught and banned.

Whilst I generally agree, it is more nuanced than that.

Prior to 1st Jan 2016 she deliberately took something to enhance performance, deliberately didn't make this known to drug testers, but the substance itself was not banned. So she was a legal PED user.

After 1st Jan 2016 she deliberately took something to enhance performance, deliberately didn't make this know to drug tests, the substance had been banned, but she (it seems honestly, though negligently) didn't know it had been banned.

She deserves the ban. And deserves her reputation being sullied by being outed as being a deliberate user of restricted medicinal products for the purpose of enhancing performance. Whether that makes her a cheat, or just an idiot, probably depends on your personal value set.

larkimm wrote:

Pilgrim Scott wrote:

I'm shocked people are standing up for her. She cheated and has been caught and banned.

Whilst I generally agree, it is more nuanced than that.

Prior to 1st Jan 2016 she deliberately took something to enhance performance, deliberately didn't make this known to drug testers, but the substance itself was not banned. So she was a legal PED user.

After 1st Jan 2016 she deliberately took something to enhance performance, deliberately didn't make this know to drug tests, the substance had been banned, but she (it seems honestly, though negligently) didn't know it had been banned.

She deserves the ban. And deserves her reputation being sullied by being outed as being a deliberate user of restricted medicinal products for the purpose of enhancing performance. Whether that makes her a cheat, or just an idiot, probably depends on your personal value set.

I think this is the summary the best summarizes the findings. The panel examined her use of meldonium at the Australian Open and found that it was consistent with being used to enhance performance, but believed that she didn't know it was banned.

Yes it's banned. I'd like to know it's banned for a good reason.

Karma Police wrote:

notrump wrote:

Any actual evidence that meldonium actually improves performance in any way?

Who cares? It's on the banned list.

I am conflicted about this.

Yes she took the substance but did she try to cheat? No.

She admitted she took it for 10 years, so it's not like she just started it after she heard it was banned. Basically just 1% of the time she took it was illegal. There should be some kind of grace period, especially for an accomplished and attractive superstar like she is.

I generally agree, especially since she basically lied about it initially. She said it was prescribed by her doctor to mitigate a health condition. BS. She took it to improve her performance.

I am shocked/surprised because ITU finally banned a big star. Wow...can you say masking agent..

Avocado's Number wrote:

I was surprised not to see a thread on this.

I'm shocked that meldonium is a banned substance. Is it performance enhancing? Seems like it was banned simply on the strength of many (Eastern) athletes taking it.

Uhhh no wrote:

I'm shocked that almost everyone on this thread (including rojo) are shocked by this.

Thread contributor wrote:

Kvothe wrote:

2 years is a pretty lenient ban for someone who has been cheating for years. And let's make no mistake, melodium is a ped and taking it is cheating, even taking it before the ban was immoral.

Food is performance enhancing. We should ban food

peD.

It looks like tennis has taken a stand against the view of Rojo and others here that everything that is not specifically banned is absolutely fine. I applaud the more nuanced approach . People should be banned for abusing PEDs, "including, but not limited to," those currently known and on the banned list.

Anything else is a joke, which exactly what T&F is today.