Think she's saying the banned substance is an ingredient in the meds she's taking rather than the medicine itself? I suspect it's a bullshit excuse but a pretty good one as they go. Taking it for nine years while it was legal and not noticing it had been added to the banned list under a different name a couple of months ago is at least a strong lie.
Tennis 2016
- Thread starter saivet
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Think she's saying the banned substance is an ingredient in the meds she's taking rather than the medicine itself? I suspect it's a bullshit excuse but a pretty good one as they go. Taking it for nine years while it was legal and not noticing it had been added to the banned list under a different name a couple of months ago is at least a strong lie.
Was hoping she was announcing her retirement, the loud annoying bollix.
So im confused, it was legal until January of 2016? What changed to get it added?
And it increases endurance? So why wasnt it banned before?
Ignorance is a poor and strong excuse at the same time for her. She (along with others) will have teams dedicated to checking this stuff out, or should have a team. But then its added a month or two ago, rather than years ago. Shes had what, one game since its been added?
Also I find it strange that she revealed this and it wasnt "Breaking News: Sharapova found guilty of taking banned substances" like we normally get.
And it increases endurance? So why wasnt it banned before?
Ignorance is a poor and strong excuse at the same time for her. She (along with others) will have teams dedicated to checking this stuff out, or should have a team. But then its added a month or two ago, rather than years ago. Shes had what, one game since its been added?
Also I find it strange that she revealed this and it wasnt "Breaking News: Sharapova found guilty of taking banned substances" like we normally get.
I don't think it is. Having read up on this a bit in the past, the way professional athletes take drugs/supplements/whatever goes along the following lines
1. Have some issue that requires treatment or decide to take a substance
2. Check the drug itself and the 'ingredients' against the list
3. If in doubt run it by the authorities
4. If you need it medically and it's banned, you can seek an examption
5. When you're tested - and I think at various times during the year - you complete full medical disclosure forms where you theoretically declare everything you've taken
All of which is made easier by the fact that, at least at Sharapova's level, they have highly aware professionals who check this stuff and would offer specific advice. For example, when Federer had glandular fever he couldn't take a few of the things that were prescribed. Ditto Djokovic a few years back for some sort of deficiency.
I think she accepts that she always took it knowingly and that all that has changed is the fact it appears on the banned list. It'll be interesting to see whether the paper trail backs her up.
My opinion is that she took this as a PED (like many player probably did prior to this year). I think he excuse that she didn't know is possible and she just got caught out.
The comment about it being related to some condition she had smells of bullshit. It's a drug that is not even legal within the US, where she has lived for ages.
A few tweets I liked:
That last tweet is silly.
Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and I only have a limited understanding of the specifics of the case.
The reality of elite sport nowadays is that athletes have to do everything they can do be at the peak of their sport and that's a really difficult statement to dispute. Sport science is a multi-million dollar industry and it continues to expand as i type this - I know - it's what I'm qualified in.
The legality of certain drugs/practices gets updated all the time and, unfortunately, the authorities are always playing catch-up - there will always be a lag period between a substance/practice being developed/abused and authorities becoming aware of it, testing it and legislating for it.
I believe, wholeheartedly, that there are athletes at the peak of their industries exploiting the above phenomenon; I refuse to explicitly accuse Maria Sharapova of being one of the athletes doing exactly that and subsequently failing to adjust quickly enough, but I am perfectly happy to go on record saying that she should be punished as though she is an athlete who has - it prevents any kind of loophole existing for anybody who might try to exploit the system in that manner.
PEDs are a very real crisis in elite sport right now (and have been for a long time). We have to punish all those who fall foul of the guidelines with absolute severity, because any alternative surely only creates an environment which puts the health and well-being of all athletes in serious danger.
The reality of elite sport nowadays is that athletes have to do everything they can do be at the peak of their sport and that's a really difficult statement to dispute. Sport science is a multi-million dollar industry and it continues to expand as i type this - I know - it's what I'm qualified in.
The legality of certain drugs/practices gets updated all the time and, unfortunately, the authorities are always playing catch-up - there will always be a lag period between a substance/practice being developed/abused and authorities becoming aware of it, testing it and legislating for it.
I believe, wholeheartedly, that there are athletes at the peak of their industries exploiting the above phenomenon; I refuse to explicitly accuse Maria Sharapova of being one of the athletes doing exactly that and subsequently failing to adjust quickly enough, but I am perfectly happy to go on record saying that she should be punished as though she is an athlete who has - it prevents any kind of loophole existing for anybody who might try to exploit the system in that manner.
PEDs are a very real crisis in elite sport right now (and have been for a long time). We have to punish all those who fall foul of the guidelines with absolute severity, because any alternative surely only creates an environment which puts the health and well-being of all athletes in serious danger.
I forgive her.
Not that big a deal. Was legal just a few months back. She should obviously be aware of the latest regulations, but this isn't quite "Lance Armstrong Sporting Fraud" territory. Btw, it is a medicine that is taken for heart related reasons. Whether it was by her we don't know nor does it really matter given you could take it for whatever reason 2 months back.
The more worrying thing is a performance enhancing drug was entirely legal to use all these years. Next to impossible for the authorities to stay ahead of things.
If she gets a lengthy ban for this she might as well retire. Personally, I think she'll be fined some money and that'll be it.
Nah. She will get 6 months atleast.
I've heard it's 2 year ban for unintentional use to enhance performance and a 4 year ban for intentional use to enhance performance.
Cillic got 9 months and Troicki got 12 months. I can't see it being more than a year.
If this is how bad Sharapova plays on drugs, how bad is she without it?
Also, poor Serena. Her easiest match of the year might be gone.
Also, poor Serena. Her easiest match of the year might be gone.
The last time she beat Serena was when she wasn't on the drugs.
It's amazing how fast people bend this story to "she has taken PEDs all her life". If it wasn't on the banned substances list, it was legal hence nothing wrong with taking it. Even if she didn't have heart problems (feck you Capriati), top athletes do everything possible to gain that extra 1%-2% which might be the difference between winning or losing a game. If she knew it had become illegal since this year and kept taking it, she's very dumb and naive by thinking she wouldn't get caught. I still give her the benefit of the doubt for now, the only weird thing seems to be she didn't check the new list - not very convincing since athletes are normally such freaks about their medication, food and stuff.
Totally agree, 95% of Twitter and many other people seem to have labelled her a cheat already. There's a lot Sharapova didn't/ couldn't say at that press conference but everyone seems to have filled in the blanks for themselves. And as @RobinLFC says, they would be foolish to think other top athletes aren't doing exactly the same. In fact I wouldn't mind betting some of them were taking this drug themselves, the only difference being their vigilence in reading the email. So all we know so far is she's been very stupid in that regard.
Saying that I'm convinced Serena is on something.
In fact I'm convinced they all are, sport has made me so cynical.
Nike have suspended her contract, that's gonna hurt.
The fact that the drug was available in Russia and not, say in the USA is probably a key factor here.
I'm sure many athletes have taken legal PED drugs but it's also likely that the non Russians would be less likely to source this particular drug from Russia (think it's available in Lithuainia too)
Only for her precious panic room Serena would have been caught, the lack of action afterwards was scandalous.
Saying that I'm convinced Serena is on something.
In fact I'm convinced they all are, sport has made me so cynical.
Nike have suspended her contract, that's gonna hurt.
Yeah dodgy as feck.
Also her build is ridiculous, I mean I've not seen many women in my time built in such a masculine way, with such defined arms, without being on something. Problem is she's become the feminist queen and in many places you'll get shouted down by people who are clueless for daring to suggest her body composition is anything other than because she is a queen who slays all before her.
Calling to have her stripped of previous titles is beyond embarrassing. It was legal until a couple of months ago, anything before that is completely irrelevant. She tested positive due to an obviously amateurish mistake, so if she gets some form of ban for that she can't complain. But there's no basis for any retrospective action.
Her physique is not normal for a female tennis player but it's hardly unique to the world.
I've known quite a few girls who are quite sporty who are naturally built like an ox. One girl I know, didn't go to the gym (had no reason to be taking stuff either) her legs were a size that I could only wish for.
Some athletes also clearly spend more time in the gym than others.
She may well be doping or has doped, but I don't think her physique is as telling as you make out.
Her refusing to open her door to random drug testers is. Well for me anyway. Tennis' attitude to her has been laughable beyond belief, not one out of competition sample was collected from her for over two years, staggering.
Yeah maybe I'm being a bit unfair and seeing what I want to see somewhat.
I've not read into that fully, but that to me would be a clearer indication of possible doping.
I can't remember who said it, but I think a tennis player suggested that testing should be made public. It all looks shady and no one knows what's truly going on, so speculation happens.
So that perennial loser gets busted for doping and we have people trying to drag Serena Williams down.
Serena - LEGEND.
Serena - LEGEND.
Whats this about Serena and a Panic Room?
Whats this about Serena and a Panic Room?
A drugs tester turned up at her house and she ran to her Panic Room and called the police basically.
Sponsors couldn't move away quick enough . Don't buy her explanation . She knew what she was doing.
I suppose its the drug testers fault for turning up in a clown costume. What a fool.
Just looking at that panic room incicdent. Not being funny, but why is the drug tester rocking up before 6am, is this normal?
I always find it quite hilarious when it comes out that an athlete has taken a specific drug for years because of some fabricated 'medical' reasons. I'm not talking about morality or legality, I just think it says a lot about professional sport. Those athletes are supposed to be amongst the healthiest people on the world. How many under 40 years old need regular drugs in reality? Yet those athletes are juicing (legal) stuff left and right as if they're a 95 year old person living in a nursing home.
18 years old and she needed a drug because of her heart, yet she played 10 years of tennis on a world class level - yeah seems legit.
18 years old and she needed a drug because of her heart, yet she played 10 years of tennis on a world class level - yeah seems legit.
Can't believe I'd never heard that before.That's clearly some bullshit explanation but give me one good reason why she wouldn't use it if it was performance enhancing and legal? Athletes aren't amongst the healthiest people in the world, it's been said many times that professional athletes exhaust their bodies to the limit, it's not exactly a healthy lifestyle. Sports are good for your health if you practice them in moderation, not as freaks like most of the cyclists of the '00s and probably thousands of other athletes.
Long story short: any athlete aspiring to be the best will try to use as much legal PEDs as possible (without overdosing of course). For example, look at Bjarne Riis' blood levels from '96, they're fecking disgusting.