09/03/2016

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HoldtheoutrageonMariaSharapovasdopingcase
Meldoniumincreasesoxygenflowtomusclesandcanthusincreaseexercisecapacityandtheefficiencyofenergyproductiononthe
cellularlevel,makingitusefultoenduranceathletes
KavithaDavidson
RussiantennisstarMariaSharapova,theworldshighestpaid
femaleathlete,announcedonMondaythatshehadfailedadrugtest
attheAustralianOpenearlierthisyear,testingpositivefor
meldonium.
Cuetheoutrage.
Sharapovasaidshesbeentakingthedrugfor10yearsandwasnt
awarethatithadbeenaddedtotheWorldAntiDopingAgencyslist
ofprohibitedsubstanceson1January.WADAhademailedamemo
aboutthelistinginDecember,butSharapovasaidshedidntclickon
thatlink.
AccordingtoJakeShelley,aBritishdistancerunnerandbiochemist,
meldoniumiscommonlyusedinLatvia,whereitismanufacturedand
AfilephotoofRussiantennisstarMariaSharapova.Photo:
marketedasMildronate.Itsusedtotreatischemicheartconditions,
Reuters/JayneKaminOnceaUSAToday
whicharemarkedbyalackofbloodflow,suchasangina,aswellas
neurodegenerativediseases.WADA,whichhadbeenmonitoringthe
drug,movedittoitsprohibitedsubstanceslistafterfindingevidence
ofitsusebyathleteswiththeintentionofenhancingperformance.Thedrugalsoincreasesoxygenflowtomusclesandcanthusincrease
exercisecapacityandtheefficiencyofenergyproductiononthecellularlevel,makingitparticularlyusefultoenduranceathletes.TheFood
andDrugAdministrationhasnotapprovedthedrugforuseintheUS,whereSharapovalives.
Sharapovainsistedthathercontinueduseofmeldoniumafterthebanwasduesimplytoignoranceofthenewpolicy.Butinadditiontothe
Decemberemail,WADAdistributedamemoinSeptemberannouncingtheimpendingchange.AssociatedPressreporterJamesEllington,
whocoversRussianbusinessandsports,notedthatRussiasAntiDopingAgency,RUSADA,hasprominentlyfeaturednewsofthebanon
itswebsitesince30September.
Tennissgoverningbodiesalsoholdgeneralplayermeetingstodiscussdrugpolicy.Soattheveryleast,Sharapovaandherteamof
coaches,trainers,anddoctorsareguiltyofextremenegligence.TheInternationalTennisFederationhasprovisionallysuspended
Sharapovaeffective12March,pendingdeterminationofthecase.
Meanwhile,threemajorsponsorshavealreadydroppedSharapova:Nike,TagHeuer,andPorsche.Nikehassuspendeditsrelationship
withherinthemidstofaneightyear,$70milliondealsignedin2010.Sharapovascompensationalsoincludesapercentageofsalesfrom
hereponymousNikeapparelline.
AccordingtotheGuardian,TagHeuerhadbeenlookingtoextenditpartnershipwithherbuthasnowcancelledtalks.Porsche,whosedeal
withSharapovaissettoendthisyear,saidithasoptedtopostponeplannedactivities.AsESPNsDarrenRovellnotes,themovesbyhigh
profilesponsorsmaybeopportunistic:Moraloutrageaside,Sharapovaisonthebacknineofhercareer.Yetallthreesponsorswerecareful
nottosevertiescompletely,leavingopenthepossibilityofresumingdealswithSharapova.
SharapovacanapplyforaTherapeuticUseExemptionformeldonium,whichshereferstoasmedicine.Ifshecanprovesheneedsitto
treatamedicalconditionthatcantbetreatedbyothermeans,shemayyetbeclearedtoplay.Itsunclearhowlongthatdeterminationcould
take.WADApresidentCraigReediehassaidSharapovacouldfaceayearlongban.
ArecentseriesofdocumentariespointedtowidespreaddopingbyRussianathletes,withthemostrecentinstallmentallegingatleast17%
usedmeldoniumin2015,whenitwaslegalininternationalcompetition.Sharapovaisatleasttheseventhathletetotestpositivefor
meldoniumsinceitsbanthisyear.RussianicedancerEkaterinaBobrovawillsitoutthismonthsworldchampionshipaftertestingpositive.
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09/03/2016

HoldtheoutrageonMariaSharapovasdopingcasePrintViewLivemint

Sharapovascase,andsomeofthereactionstoit,highlighttheshiftingchallengespresentedbydoping.Notalldrugsareequal,andthereis
aline,howeverfine,betweendrugsthatenhanceperformanceanddrugsthatheal.ItsunclearonwhichsideofthatlineSharapovasdrug
usefalls.
Thegoalofantidopingmeasuresisbothtoprotectathletesfromingestingpotentiallydangeroussubstancesandtomaintaincompetitive
fairness.Whilesomeathletesseektooutfoxregulators,noteveryviolationisclearcut.Astechnologyanddrugpolicyevolve,so,too,must
ourviewofdoping.Weneedmorenuance,lessoutrage.Bloomberg
ThiscolumndoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheopinionoftheeditorialboardorBloombergLPanditsowners.

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