Sharapova’s unlikely story

Scotty Stevenson writes at NZ Herald:

Tennis Uber Star Maria Sharapova walked fashionably late into an LA hotel today and announced to the world that she had failed a drugs test at the Australian Open.

She said she took responsibility for that, and then proceeded to run away as fast as she could from her mea culpa.

Sharapova tested positive for meldonium, a Latvian pharmaceutical used to treat angina and myocardial ischemia, a condition which leads to a lack of blood flow to the heart and a reduction in oxygen to the body. The drug is widely available throughout Russia but is not available in the United States where Sharapova is based. When combined with other compounds it is claimed meldonium can aid exercise capacity.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the substance in December 2015 saying they had evidence that athletes were using the drug with the intention of enhancing performance.

Sharapova claimed today she had been using Meldonium, also known as Mildronate, since 2006 to combat a magnesium deficiency and an irregular EKG. She says it was first prescribed by her family doctor. It is not known whether Sharapova suffered from angina or from Myocardial Ischemia.

Very suspicious. She lives in the US, but gets this one drug from her family doctor in Russia.

“I received an email on 22 December from Wada about the changes happening to the banned list and you can see prohibited items, and I didn’t click on that link.”

“I didn’t click on that link.” Why not? Surely a professional athlete whose very livelihood depends upon knowing what substances and supplements can and cannot be taken would click on a link that provides that very information.

Almost certainly.

She also says she took it to combat diabetes as her family has a history of it.  Yes she really looks like diabetes is a real concern for her.