# Maria Sharapova banned for two years: meldonium drug use **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 8, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897 "2016-06-08T23:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/1 "2016-06-08T23:54:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Former world number one Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug. But what led to that suspension and the damning verdict of the tribunal panel? > > The year after winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, Maria Sharapova was taken to Russia by her father to visit Moscow’s Centre for Biotic Medicine. > > The teenager had become prone to colds and tonsil infections, and was feeling pain in her upper abdomen. She was seen by Dr Anatoly Skalny, who diagnosed a mineral metabolism disorder and prescribed meldonium as part of the solution… > > The decision to add meldonium to the banned list for 2016 was communicated to the players electronically, and by her own admission, Sharapova never read the correspondence nor consulted the ITF website or wallet card provided for further information. > **[Maria Sharapova: The story behind her downfall and two-year ban from tennis](https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/36486050)** > > From 18 supplements at 18 to a ban that could end her career - the judgement that damns tennis star Maria Sharapova I think the banning is an excessive length. The ITF should have made a much stronger attempt to inform players and coaches about this. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/2 "2016-06-09T00:07:14Z")
> [@](#): > > The decision to add meldonium to the banned list for 2016 was communicated to the players electronically, and **by her own admission, Sharapova never read the correspondence nor consulted the ITF website or wallet card provided for further information.** Sucks to be you. Two years! _gavels_ ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/3 "2016-06-09T03:05:26Z")
The fact that she took it for more than 10 years and never once declared it on the list of ‘Medications currently taken’ (where you are supposed to list everything from cough lollies to hoeopathics) suggests she knew she had something to hide. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/4 "2016-06-09T03:09:45Z")
And the point that they gave her the 2-year banning reserved for n00bs who don’t know what they’re doing, rather than the 4-year banning they usually give to people at the top of the game, was generous. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/5 "2016-06-09T03:39:29Z")
I think 2 years is exactly fair. A year would have been lenient. 6 months would have been a joke. Hingis got a 2 year ban for doing nose candy, which isn’t really a PED. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/6 "2016-06-09T03:51:50Z")
It’s a new bs doping rule. They should implement it with some flexibility. Give athletes a grace period to change their medications. I guess they should feel quite pleased they’ve pretty much ended a great athlete’s career. It’s unlikely she can come back to competitive play at thirty and after 2 years suspensions. Can’t they just let athlete’s play? Stay the hell out of the way of the game. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/7 "2016-06-09T04:06:52Z")
I can’t think of another top female tennis player that’s dealt with so many injuries. She’s fought back time after time. It’s such a shame they implement a new rule with no grace or warning period at all. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/8 "2016-06-09T04:16:03Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I think the banning is an excessive length. The ITF should have made a much stronger attempt to inform players and coaches about this. From the [report I’ve read her defence](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jun/08/maria-sharapova--drugs-in-sport-tennis)was a gigantic pack of obvious lies. Her father had some completely and utterly ridiculous excuse about how he didn’t know the substance was banned. The idea she didn’t know it was banned is of itself utterly implausible. There was no health reason for her to take it. She clearly deliberately hid her usage of it. This adds up, very obviously, to the blindingly obvious conclusion; she was taking banned substances on purpose to try to gain advantage. Athletes take this stuff on purpose and lie, lie, lie to cover it up. They know that a few words of denial by them in a press conference will be given as much weight on TV as 32 pages of closely reasoned, evidence supported judgement against them. And they know that fans will give them the benefit (oh, \*so \*much benefit) of the doubt. How many times are you going to come running in and be surprised when Lucy takes the ball away? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/9 "2016-06-09T05:09:31Z")
Maria makes a good point that she should have been notified that she was tested positive for a drug that would soon be banned. To just pass a rule and say gotcha! Is pretty low. Takes time for athletes to shift their meds. Find something that still treats the problem and doesn’t have a banned ingredient in it. It’s really getting out of hand. They couldn’t be satisfied banning steroids. Now they got to start banning other medicines. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/10 "2016-06-09T05:12:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Can’t they just let athlete’s play? Stay the hell out of the way of the game. Can’t we just let cheaters cheat? Lance Armstrong wants to know. Heart attacks at thirty from steroid use? No problem. Uh, how about NO. > [@](#): > > I can’t think of another top female tennis player that’s dealt with so many injuries. She’s fought back time after time. I can think of few. Tracey Austin - injuries basically finished her by age 21. Dinara Safina was gone by 25. > [@](#): > > It’s such a shame they implement a new rule with no grace or warning period at all. Yes, she only received five separate warnings. Why, oh why, couldn’t they have sent her six? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/11 "2016-06-09T06:02:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Maria makes a good point that she should have been notified that she was tested positive for a drug that would soon be banned. Who told you that? Sharapova. You are treating information from the very person most motivated to lie to you as if it’s the truth, over other more reliable sources. She is \*lying \*to you. Get used to the fact that athletes caught in these circumstances lie like their career and their reputation depend upon it. As it does. Read the [judgement](http://www.itftennis.com/media/231178/231178.pdf). Particularly paragraphs 41-45 and 91-98. Here’s some key quotes: > [@ITF Judgment](#): > > The first step in that argument was that the ITF knew that 24 samples taken from tennis players had tested positive for Meldonium in 2015. The ITF could not have had that knowledge in December 2015 as the results of the testing were only sent to the ITF in March 2016, a point which was conceded by counsel for the player in final argument. > [@ITF Judgment](#): > > The factual premise of that argument was not supported by the evidence. That the ITF did not know that the player had tested positive for Meldonium in 2015 was accepted in final submissions for the player. So not only is what Sharapova told you not true, she knows its not true; her counsel in the case conceded as much. If you don’t take the attitude that _everything she and every other athlete says in these circumstances can be assumed to be a lie unless proven otherwise_, you are being played for a fool. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/12 "2016-06-09T06:14:01Z")
Why the rush to declare this stuff is banned immediately? According to what you posted they didn’t have test results until March 2016. Yet the ban went into effect Jan 1. Doesn’t make sense. First they should have gotten test results. Then notified the player and their coach they tested positive for a substance that will be banned. There was no reason to do this in a way that screwed over the players. This was a drug Maria had taken for a decade. Another few months would have made no difference. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/13 "2016-06-09T06:20:43Z")
I don’t have an issue with banning Meldonium. It’s the way the ban was implemented that bothers me Its like they couldn’t wait to screw over the players with this new rule ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/14 "2016-06-09T06:45:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Why the rush to declare this stuff is banned immediately? According to what you posted they didn’t have test results until March 2016. Yet the ban went into effect Jan 1. No they had known about Meldonium usage as a performance enhancer in general for a few years. They did not know that it was being used by tennis players including Sharapova till March 2016. They had notified players a year before that they were concerned about Meldonium, and they had begun assessing player usage of it. They didn’t know Sharapova was using it _because she lied about what substances she was taking_ on the relevant forms. Maybe you should actually read the judgment, or do you not want to learn things you would prefer not to know? You say that “its like they couldn’t wait to screw over the players”. I think a better comment might be "its like you have a crush on [del]Sharapova[/del] pardon me, “Maria” [_sigh_!], and can’t stand to see “Maria” [_swoon!_] in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/15 "2016-06-09T06:55:47Z")
Who doesn’t have a crush on Maria? 😃 I’ve admired her uh, tennis abilities for ten years. 😉 I don’t think she purposefully ignored the new ban. So many great players have been banned over performance enhancing drugs. Difficult to imagine any top rated player today deliberately trying to use them. Anyway, it’s a shame to see Maria end her career like this. A comeback at 30 is very unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/16 "2016-06-09T07:13:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t think she purposefully ignored the new ban. So many great players have been banned over performance enhancing drugs. Difficult to imagine any top rated player today deliberately trying to use them. It’s possible she didn’t know it had been _banned_. The fact that she used it after 1 January strongly suggests that; although it never ceases to amaze me how often athletes think they are going to be able to get away with it somehow. A lot of athletes aren’t very smart, and they can’t easily get reliable advice because they may expose themselves. Maybe she thought that it wasn’t easily picked up in tests. I don’t know. It seems a little implausible in the circumstances that she hadn’t known it was banned given the warnings, but I guess people do overlook paperwork. But if you are suggesting Sharapova (and other top rated players) didn’t use Meldonium because they thought it was performance enhancing, you are living in dreamland. She covered it up like hell. The absolute most you can say is she might have missed the memo about it becoming banned. There is no way she didn’t know it was performance enhancing, and didn’t take it for that reason. And you know what \*really is \*a shame? Otherwise promising athletes who have spent their careers coming off second best because they aren’t cheating. That’s the real shame. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/17 "2016-06-09T08:03:20Z")
There’s nothing wrong with using medicine that isn’t banned. Sharapova was well within the regulations until Jan 1. Consider pain meds. Most athletes rely on them to compete. They always have some nagging injury that would hinder their ability to play. They aren’t cheating if they take meds that aren’t banned. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/18 "2016-06-09T10:32:42Z")
What about medicine that isn’t being used as medicine but as a performance enhancer? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/19 "2016-06-09T11:11:00Z")
That’s kind of a grey area isn’t it? If it’s not banned then it’s legal. But the athlete is gaining an advantage. I suspect a lot of tennis players used Meldonium prior to Jan 1. They aren’t in trouble. The ones that weren’t paying attention to their mail are. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897/20 "2016-06-09T11:30:49Z")
Maria screwed up badly and is paying a stiff penalty for it. I guess they are making an example of her. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maria-sharapova-banned-for-two-years-meldonium-drug-use/756897.md?page=2)