aria Sharapova was 'warned five times' by tennis authorities meldonium had been banned
Photo: FameFlynet'Honest
mistake': Sharapova, 28, announced on Monday that she had been caught
in a doping test after taking the drug, which became a banned substance
in January
Maria Sharapova was 'warned five times' by tennis authorities meldonium had been banned in January - Russian federation warned her too
Sharapova said she'd taken meldonium for ten years for 'health issues'but acknowledges 'it is every player's responsibility to know what they put in their body and to know if it is permissible.'
Maria Sharapova
28, announced on Monday that she had been caught in a doping test
after taking the drug, which became a banned substance in January. She failed a doping test at the Australian Open.
Photo: Getty Images
Claimingit was an honest mistake, as
she had taken the drug, sold as Mildronate in Russia, for ten years and
had failed to notice that it had been banned.
However, three correspondences from
the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and two from the Women's
Tennis Association (WTA) were sent to players containing warnings that
meldonium was to be banned, according to the Times.
In addition, the World Anti-Doping Agency had also give players notice of the new ban as early as September last year.
This followed a statement by the
Russian athletics federation (ARAF) on Wendesday entitled: 'To the
attention of sports people and coaches.'
'The ARAF has on multiple occasions
warned sports people, coaches, and support staff that, since Jan. 1
this year meldonium is included in the list of the banned substances.'
Maria
Sharapova was spotted hitting the gym in Los Angeles, just a day after
admitting she had failed a drug test and would be suspended as a
result
The five-time Grand Slam champion wore Nike leggings and a Nike
sweatshirt even though the brand ended their deal, an eight-year
contract extended in 2010 for a reported $70 million, just hours after
her announcement. T
Sharapova,
28, was also spotted driving her Porsche to the supermarket on Tuesday
afternoon. Porsche, said that while they are 'certainly not dumping'
Sharapova, they are currently 'not pursuing any further activities'
with her
The announcement said on several
occasions last year items were posted on the federation's website
stating meldonium was banned, the message was also passed on at a
conference of coaches last October and at three training camps.
Despite the scandal surrounding her,
Sharapova was seen dressed head-to-toe in Nike gear and drove her
Porsche to the supermarket on Wendesay - even though both brands
suspended their relationship after her revelation.
She hit the gym in Los Angeles wearing
black Nike leggings and a black Nike sweatshirt. The brand ended her
most lucrative deal, an eight-year contract extended in 2010 for a
reported $8.5 millions a year, just hours after her announcement on
Monday.
She looked relaxed and even smiled as
she walked around, even though she has lost at least $14 millions
worth of sponsorship contracts in the past 24 hours and doesn't know
yet how her career will be affected.
She then drove her Porsche to Whole
Foods, this time wearing white Nike sneakers. Porsche, another one of
her major partners, said that while they are 'certainly not dumping'
Sharapova, they are currently 'not pursuing any further activities'
with her. Her deal with Porsche was worth $2.8 million.
Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer followed
suit, saying its contract with Sharapova had expired at the end of
2015 and it has pulled out of negotiations on a new agreement. The
contract was also priced at $2.8 million.
Her other partners, Avon, Evian and Head, have yet to comment.
Nike's
deal with Sharapova was worth $8.5million a year. Her contracts with
TAG Heuer and Porsche reached $2.8 million each. This brings her losses
to at least $14milion - and her other partners Avon, Evian and Head
have yet to comment
The
day after admitting she had tested positive for meldonium, Sharapova
shopped at Whole Foods and kept her sunglasses inside. She said during a
press conference she took 'full responsibility' for failing the test
Sharapova,
pictured during her trip to Whole Foods on Tuesday, said she received
an email telling her meldonium had been added to the list of banned
substances but didn't look at it
She admitted yesterday during a press
conference at a Los Angeles hotel she had tested positive for
meldonium, a drug she had been taking for a decade, during the
Australian Open in January.
The International Tennis Federation has
confirmed Sharapova will be provisionally suspended from the sport
from March 12 but hasn't said how long her suspension will last.
Serena Williams praised Sharapova for
her 'courage' in disclosing her failed drug test, saying she had shown
'a lot of courage'.
'I think most people were happy she was
upfront and very honest,' Williams said during a news conference for a
Madison Square Garden event on Tuesday.
'It's just taking responsibility, which
she admitted that she was willing and ready to do,' Williams added.
'Just hope for the best for everybody in that situation.'
'I think she's always shown courage and heart in everything she's done, and this is no different.'
Despite Sharapova's suspension, the
president of the Russian Tennis Federation has said he expects her to
play in the Olympics in Brazil in August this year.
Meldonium, the drug that caused her to
fail the test, also known as Mildronate, was legal for most of
Sharapova's career but was banned on January 1.
The Russian athlete said she received an email from WADA informing her of the changes but didn't look at the list.
Sharapova
looked relaxed even though she has lost millions of dollars worth of
sponsorship deals in the past 24 hours and doesn't know yet how her
career will be affected
The
International Tennis Federation has confirmed Sharapova will be
provisionally suspended from the sport from March 12 but hasn't said
how long her suspension will last
She said during her news conference
that she was initially given meldonium in 2006 by her 'family doctor'
and kept taking it for a decade due to health issues such as a
magnesium deficiency and a genetic disposition towards diabetes.
However, the drug which is mainly
available in Eastern Europe is said to have become a drug of choice for
Russian athletes implicated of cheating in other sports. It was
regularly given to Soviet troops in the 1980s to boost their stamina.
Latvian manufacturers that make
meldonium have now said that the substance is normally prescribed for
medical use for four to six weeks - much shorter than Sharapova's
course of treatment.
A Grindeks spokesman said: 'Depending
on the patient's health condition, treatment course of meldonium
preparations may vary from four to six weeks.
'Treatment course can be repeated twice or thrice a year.
'Only physicians can follow and
evaluate patient's health condition and state whether the patient
should use meldonium for a longer period of time.'
In a statement on Monday night, Nike
said: 'We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova.
We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the
investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation.'
Announcement:
Maria Sharapova revealed that she failed a drugs test at the 2016
Australian Open after testing positive for meldonium
Admission:
Reading a statement to a host of journalists in Los Angeles yesterday,
she said she took 'full responsibility' for the test failure
An Evian spokesman said today that the
company was 'surprised' by the announcement, but would neither confirm
not deny that they were ending their endorsement deal with Sharapova.
WHAT IS MELDONIUM?
Meldonium,
also known as Mildronate, was added to the new banned list of drugs
last year, which came into place on January 1, 2016.
The drug
was added to the list because the World Anti-Doping Agency said there
'evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing
performance.'
WADA had
been observing Meldonium in 2015, adding it to its 'monitoring
programme' to determine its effects on athletic performance.
Photo: EPAMeldonium (file picture above) was a medicine Sharapova took for 10 years but it became a prohibited substance on January 1
It is used
medically to treat ischemia, or a lack of blood flow. It can be used
as a metabolic enhancer to increase endurance through greater blood
flow.
Sharapova
said she had been taking the drug for ten years - but Latvian
manufacturers Grindeks say that four to six weeks is a common course.
The
Institute of Biochemistry - Center for Preventive Doping Research,
German Sport University Cologne said of the drug: 'Anti-ischemic drug
Mildronate demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of
athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against
stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system (CNS)
functions.'
Photo: ReutersA manufacturing operator works at the meldonium packaging process in Riga
Sharapova said she has been taking the drug since 2006 to aid in a variety of health problems.
On
December 22 of last year, WADA sent out an email indicating what drugs
would be banned starting in 2016 and Sharapova conceded that she
received but did not read that email.
Sharapova
poses with her trophy after she won against Serena Williams in the
ladies' final match at Wimbledon in 2004. Serena has since praised
Sharapova's 'courage' in disclosing her failed drug test
Before the storm: Maria Sharapova os pictured during the Australian Open on 26 January
In response to the announcement, Steve Simon, WTA chief executive, said: 'I am very saddened to hear this news about Maria. Maria is a leader and I have always known her to be a woman of great integrity.
'Nevertheless, as Maria acknowledged,
it is every player's responsibility to know what they put in their body
and to know if it is permissible.
'This matter is now in the hands of the
Tennis Anti-Doping Program and its standard procedures. The WTA will
support the decisions reached through this process.'
The 28-year-old faces a ban of several
years, having been informed of the finding 'a few days ago'. She said
that was unrelated to her withdrawal from the Indian Wells event this
week, as she is presently injured anyway.
Sharapova said on Monday that this was
not how she wanted her career to end and she hoped to find her way back
to tennis one day.
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