Sharapova to be banned!

[ShinChan]

On March 7, Maria Sharapova revealed that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open, which she described as the result of an oversight. She tested positive for meldonium, an anti-ischemic drug added to the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA)'s banned substances list in 2016.

Sharapova claimed that her doctor had been prescribing the medication to her since 2006.

As a result of the failed drugs test, Nike has"suspended its relationship", and Tag Heuer has"cut its ties" with Sharapova.

"It is very important for you to understand that, for 10 years, this medicine was not on Wada's banned list and I had been legally taking that medicine for the past 10 years.
But, on 1 January, the rules changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance, which I had not known."-Maria Sharapova

Shocking and Saddening news for me and tennis fans. She was my favorite tennis player.

​

 

[Akhilleus]

I'm honestly not too saddened about it. I'm not a big Maria Sharapova fan. One thing I hate is how she's lived in the United States since she was ten years old, yet she still supports Russia in the Olympics. I mean, that bugs me about a lot of athletes though. They all make a living here in the United States, but they don't represent us in the Olympics. I mean I guess I can understand the whole heritage thing and all, but I don't know it still bugs me.

Plus I have no pity for her, it's her own fault for not being aware of the banned substance. Not to mention she was basically abusing the drug. She only needed it for a short time, and she instead went on to abuse it for ten years.

She's right up there with the Williams sisters on my hate list.

 

[CyberPunk]

It's too early to say anything. From everything that I've read on this matter, she's been taking it for 10 years. The drug has recently been added to the ban list (Jan 1, 2016); however, the list was available as early as September last year. Whether she should've known about it or not is anybody's guess. At this time, the only thing that's left to investigate is why she was taking it, and how it actually helped her enhance her performance.

I don't feel one way or the other about Sharapova or this issue. If it's an honest mistake, a light punishment would do; otherwise, laws are there in place.

 

[Khalifa]

It's too early to say anything. From everything that I've read on this matter, she's been taking it for 10 years. The drug has recently been added to the ban list (Jan 1, 2016); however, the list was available as early as September last year. Whether she should've known about it or not is anybody's guess. At this time, the only thing that's left to investigate is why she was taking it, and how it actually helped her enhance her performance.

I don't feel one way or the other about Sharapova or this issue. If it's an honest mistake, a light punishment would do; otherwise, laws are there in place.

Mainly talking about the 'should she have known' thing (also this isn't directed at you, you just brought up a point that I think is relevant). Sharapova came out and said she got an email in December with a list of the new banned susbatances, as well as current banned substances for WADA. She had a whole month to check if what she was taking was legal and she didn't. She deserves to get banned. She might of taken it for 10 years prior but that doesn't give her any justice. As an athlete it is up to you to know whether the stuff you are taking is a banned substance or not. With better testing every year, professional athletes should be expected to follow up on every drug they take atleast once a year. A probably more fair way is to just make a certain deal with the tennis officials were required/forced to check up on your stuff every year. I dunno what you call them but have tennis officials from around the world check with maybe the top 500(?) players and just go over with them to make sure everything is legal.

I have no sympathy for Sharapova. I do like her as a player but when you are cheating then don't bother playing the innocent card with me.

 

[M]

I'm honestly not too saddened about it. I'm not a big Maria Sharapova fan. One thing I hate is how she's lived in the United States since she was ten years old, yet she still supports Russia in the Olympics. I mean, that bugs me about a lot of athletes though. They all make a living here in the United States, but they don't represent us in the Olympics. I mean I guess I can understand the whole heritage thing and all, but I don't know it still bugs me.

10 years is a large chunk of a life you know. I understand your point when it's a person abusing the loopholes surrounding heritage to get classified as another country in the Olympics, but this woman was born and raised there for a whole decade. My grandparents technically made their living in Australia when they left Italy after WW2 at relatively young ages, but there's no chance in hell those broken-english speaking pasta-eating inspirations for Everybody Loves Raymond would've ever supported Australia when Italy was a choice. Your affinities are with your heart not your geographical location.

Plus I have no pity for her, it's her own fault for not being aware of the banned substance. Not to mention she was basically abusing the drug. She only needed it for a short time, and she instead went on to abuse it for ten years.

This. It never makes sense to me when an athlete is ignorant of very clear rules, especially when they're very specific. It's not like she was on a wacky cocktail of drugs that had the recently banned one as a minor ingredient in the fine print. My honest guess is that they learned the drug was being banned and simply failed to find a good enough equivalent in time for the 18th of January or earlier if that's when she got tested. That's not an excuse by any means, it's just what I honestly think happened. There shouldn't really be a need for the organisation's governing bodies to check up on their staff and make sure they know the rules either. WADA gives you a very strong notice and it's up to you to abide, or face their penalty.

Khalifa, how do you think this'll affect the Essendon saga?

 

[enviousdominous]

I have a hard time feeling bad for Maria, even with her attempt to accept full responsibility. She's basically admitting that she's a complete idiot so she doesn't have to admit that she was knowingly taking a banned substance.

She's been putting Meldonium in her body because it made her feel better when she experienced flu like symptoms and wondered if she might have diabetes back in 2006. When asked why she kept taking it, she groaned out something like "It kept making me feel better, so I kept taking it." So basically; she's a complete idiot if during all of this she was still unaware of the performance enhancing qualities of Meldonium. There's also the fact that the FDA refused to approve the sale of this drug in the US, and the European Medicines Agency refused to approve the sale of this drug in Europe.

Maria Sharapova is claiming that she's been so sick in the past ten years that she required constant use of Meldonium to clear up her symptoms, and that all news of the performance enhancing qualities of this drug were completely unknown to her. Her apology was more a plea for us to feel bad for her and less an attempt to actually make amends for her bullshit.

Hopefully she can find an anti-depressant that doesn't nearly eliminate muscle fatigue, since she's been disqualified from competing in the Summer Olympics.

 

[Khalifa]

Khalifa, how do you think this'll affect the Essendon saga?

I don't know if it'll affect the saga but I know she will be Essendons #1 priorty for either player or coach, maybe both .

Haha while we are on the subject I can't believe that Essendon haven't got more of a penalty. No draft pick strips or anything. Sure tanking hurts the game (Carlton) but can anyone justify that punishment to be harsher than someone who used performance enhancing drugs. Only the players seem to be getting the penalty as Essendon were even allowed top up players, which I know helps fixtures, ground arrangement and the whole competitionbut seriously. They need draft pick strips at the very least. For another topic though.

As for the representing your country in the olympics. I actually think it's worse if you are born somewhere but play for someone else. I've just got it fixed in my mind you play for your home country. Unless it's like a unexpected birth where your parents are from another country but were traveling, but if you are born where you're parents are living that's where you are from. Two Asian parents building a family in America, the child is born in America therefor he is an American. A Asian American, but still an American. Now if he wants to go play back in Asia I just don't get it. I don't dislike people for doing but I dunno. I just look at it as well technically I should go represent some European country because there is no such thing as a true white Australian, but no I am an Australian, this is my home. Maybe I just look at it that way because Kyrie Irving should be representing Australia and not the U.S haha.

 

[Navi]

Considering that the drug in question was just put on the banned list about two months ago, the fact that she's been taking it for 10 years shouldn't mean a thing. However, since she found out it was a banned substance she should have stopped, but it's hard to penalize her for taking a drug over a long period of time when it was considered okay to do so.

Also do we know if she's continuing to take it or is this just the residue of what she took in the past? If it's the latter then why should she be banned? If she continued to take it, then she should be punished for the time that the drug was placed on the banned list.

 

[enviousdominous]

Considering that the drug in question was just put on the banned list about two months ago, the fact that she's been taking it for 10 years shouldn't mean a thing. However, since she found out it was a banned substance she should have stopped, but it's hard to penalize her for taking a drug over a long period of time when it was considered okay to do so.

For me, this all comes down to the plausibility of her excuse for still taking Meldonium at all. While Meldonium wasn't banned for most of the time that Maria was taking it, I have a really difficult time believing that she was unaware of how the drug was enhancing her physical endurance while she was taking it. As recently as her Australian Open win against Serena, she was taking Meldonium, and her excuse for doing so is "Oops! Didn't read that one e-mail!" I might be acting like a jerk, but I'm thinking that she kept taking it because she felt that she could fall back on "I don't know no better" if she got caught.

Also do we know if she's continuing to take it or is this just the residue of what she took in the past? If it's the latter then why should she be banned? If she continued to take it, then she should be punished for the time that the drug was placed on the banned list.

She stopped after all the fuss kicked up, everything started hitting the fan when she failed a drug test relating to her previously mentioned win over Serena. It was only after that point that she ponied up her "I accept full responsibility" speech. It's not so much that she's having the book thrown at her, more like she's throwing the book at herself by not pulling any punches on whether or not she's worthy of guilt. The most she's willing to say about her own personal wrongdoing is that she didn't open an e-mail that she knew would show an updated list of banned substances.

Even though they haven't decided specifically how to punish her for this, the damage to her reputation is pretty severe with the sponsors cutting ties. I think she's an amazing tennis player and even with all the shit I've talked, I sincerely hope that she gets back on the court as soon as possible.

 

[Барбоса]

She had plenty of time to get off the drug (one that should only be taken in 6 week courses). There were seemingly at least five warnings from the ATP to say what would be illegal in 2016, starting in September last year.

So she and her team either did not check the warnings or they wilfully ignored it, thinking they could get away with it.

I definitely lean towards the former, even though she is known for being meticulous, but there is still no excuse really.

Don't think she should get the longest ban of four years but given the crusade that anti-doping agencies are on and her high profile, I could see her getting the book thrown at her.

 

[M]

Also do we know if she's continuing to take it or is this just the residue of what she took in the past? If it's the latter then why should she be banned? If she continued to take it, then she should be punished for the time that the drug was placed on the banned list.

It takes roughly 3 days max for it to leave your system, and she got tested sometime during the tournament a month and a bit ago, but the results don't get published until later.

I don't know if it'll affect the saga but I know she will be Essendons #1 priorty for either player or coach, maybe both .

Haha while we are on the subject I can't believe that Essendon haven't got more of a penalty. No draft pick strips or anything. Sure tanking hurts the game (Carlton) but can anyone justify that punishment to be harsher than someone who used performance enhancing drugs. Only the players seem to be getting the penalty as Essendon were even allowed top up players, which I know helps fixtures, ground arrangement and the whole competitionbut seriously. They need draft pick strips at the very least. For another topic though.

So you saw that pick of her in the bombers jersey?

They did take some draft picks away when the story initially broke under the guise of "Putting the game into Disrepute", but the AFL doesn't want Essendon to get a penalty at all, which is why they're going so far out of their way to ensure they don't actually take too much of a penalty. They'll probably give them priority picks too. The hilarious way the AFL think they're bulletproof in sooooo many respects is definitely a thread. Might even be a running thread if they keep it up at the rate they've been at since Ben Cousins.

 

[Navi]

For me, this all comes down to the plausibility of her excuse for still taking Meldonium at all. While Meldonium wasn't banned for most of the time that Maria was taking it, I have a really difficult time believing that she was unaware of how the drug was enhancing her physical endurance while she was taking it. As recently as her Australian Open win against Serena, she was taking Meldonium, and her excuse for doing so is "Oops! Didn't read that one e-mail!" I might be acting like a jerk, but I'm thinking that she kept taking it because she felt that she could fall back on "I don't know no better" if she got caught.

I know nothing about this drug and it's effects, so please excuse my ignorance why asking these questions. If the drug was enhancing players performanice, why did it take so long to have it put on the banned list? And do we know if other players haven't taken it before it was banned, or is she the only one?

As for her reasons for taking it, well only her doctor would be able to tell why he prescribed it for so long. But didn't Sharapova win Wimbledon back in the early 2000's before she started taking it, so she wasn't a shit player who needed it.

In saying that however, if she was continuing to take it after was banned then she is responsible. She has a lot of people around her, so someone should have said something, even if she "says" she didn't know herself. But my point on her taking it for 10 years still stands. It wasn't a banned drug then, so for that period in time she should not be punished. You can't punish someone for a so called crime they committed when it wasn't deemed a crime at the time.

 

[enviousdominous]

I know nothing about this drug and it's effects, so please excuse my ignorance why asking these questions. If the drug was enhancing players performanice, why did it take so long to have it put on the banned list? And do we know if other players haven't taken it before it was banned, or is she the only one?

From what I was able to research, the main purpose of the drug is to treat ailments involving irregular functions of the heart. According to Maria, she was experiencing "irregular EKG readings" back in 2006 and Meldonium was prescribed to her by a Russian doctor. While it was not approved for use in the states or the EU, today it's still a common treatment for heart irregularities in Russia.

Other -- less popular -- Russian athletes have had to bite the bullet like Maria, she's just the most popular example so far. The World Anti-Doping Agency was monitoring the effects of this drug in athletes for all of 2015 to justify putting it on the banned list recently.

As for her reasons for taking it, well only her doctor would be able to tell why he prescribed it for so long. But didn't Sharapova win Wimbledon back in the early 2000's before she started taking it, so she wasn't a shit player who needed it.

I apologize if I was coming across like someone who thinks that she couldn't hang with the pros if she wasn't enhancing her performance in some illicit way. She is far and away one of the greatest of all time.

In saying that however, if she was continuing to take it after it was banned then she is responsible. She has a lot of people around her, so someone should have said something, even if she "says" she didn't know herself. But my point on her taking it for 10 years still stands. It wasn't a banned drug then, so for that period in time she should not be punished. You can't punish someone for a so called crime they committed when it wasn't deemed a crime at the time.

I agree 100%.