According to the decision of the International tennis Federation sportswoman Maria Sharapova was disqualified for two years due to a doping scandal.
On 7 March, the tennis star Maria Sharapova at a specially convened press conference in Los Angeles admitted that her doping test during a speech at the Open championship of Australia gave a positive result — and in it were found traces of a prohibited drug Meldonium. According to the athlete, because of health problems she took the drug Mildronat, also known as Meldonium, within ten years from 2006, but from 1 January 2016 it is recognized as prohibited for athletes. Sharapova has indicated it is prepared to take full responsibility for what happened — despite the fact that on 22 December, she received a notice from WADA about changes in the list of performance enhancing drugs, she did not read it for one reason or another and did not know that her medication has ceased to be safe. However, the player insists that broke the rules unintentionally.
After many trials, the international tennis Federation (ITF) decided to disqualify Maria Sharapova for two years. Experts believe that such a term threatens to end sports career as a tennis player due to her age and physical health. In addition, Sharapova sought to perform at the Olympic games, the nearest will take place in Rio de Janeiro this year, but due to the disqualification will not be able to participate instead in Brazil will go to Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova.
The period of Ineligibility begins on January 26, 2016 — the day when he was discovered Smoking the drug. After the announcement of the decision of the International tennis Federation Sharapova wrote a post on Facebook announced that it intends to appeal this issue.
“The decision on a two-year disqualification shows that the Commission ITF unanimously considered my actions are unintentional. The members of the Commission agreed that I had taken an illegal drug is not to improve athletic performance. The international tennis Federation has spent enormous amount of time and effort trying to prove that I intentionally violated anti-doping rules, but the Tribunal ruled that it is not. You should know that ITF had insisted on punishment in four years of disqualification, which is given for intentional violation. However, the Commission did not agree with the requirements of the ITF,” — says Maria.
“Despite the fact that the Commission has determined that I have violated anti-doping rules unintentionally, I can’t take unduly harsh punishment in the form of a two-year disqualification. The members of the Commission who were selected ITF agreed that I did not do anything wrong intentionally. And they forbade me to play two years. I immediately file an appeal against this decision in Sports arbitration court in Lausanne,” said the athlete.
“I miss tennis and my amazing fans. They are the best and the most loyal fans in the world, — said the tennis player. — I read your emails, read messages in social networks, and that your love and support has helped me through difficult days. I intend to defend what I think is right, so I’m going to fight for a return to the court as soon as possible”.
Sports brand Nike, which suspended the contract with Maria Sharapova at the time of trial, has now decided to restore cooperation. That this is possible, company President Trevor Edwards (Trevor Edwards) said in March: “Athletes are people just like everyone else. They have the same drawbacks as the other ones, and sometimes from these points you can learn the lesson.”