- Title: File pictures of Sharapova who faces a meldonium hearing in London
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 22, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARIA SHARAPOVA (GREY LEGGINGS) PRACTICING FOR WIMBLEDON LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 7, 2016) (REUTERS - BROADCASTER AND DIGITAL) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIA SHARAPOVA SAYING: "Thank you for being here on such short notice. I wanted to let you know that a few days I received a letter from the ITF (International Tennis Federation) that I had failed a drug test at the Australian Open. I did fail the test and I do take full responsibility for it. For the past ten years I have been given a medicine called mildronate, by my doctor, by my family doctor, and a few days ago after I received the ITF letter I found out that it also has another name of meldonium, which I did not know. It's very important for you to understand that for ten years this medicine was not on WADA's (World Anti-Doping Agency) banned list and I had been legally taking the medicine for the past ten years. But on January first the rules had changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance which I had not known." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIA SHARAPOVA SAYING: "I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way and I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game. And I know that many of you thought that I would be retiring today and announcing my retirement but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would probably not be in a downtown Los Angeles hotel with this fairly ugly carpet." LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 23, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARIA SHARAPOVA PRACTICING
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2016 08:44
- Keywords: Tennis Doping Sharapova meldonium London
- Location: No-Data-Available
- City: No-Data-Available
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sport,Tennis
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IC3OSF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Maria Sharapova will attend an International Tennis Federation anti-doping hearing in London on Wednesday (May 18), British media reported, with the Russian facing a possible ban of up to four years for failing a drugs test at the Australian Open.
The five-times grand slam champion stunned the world in March when she said she had returned a positive test for meldonium, a Latvian-made heart medication which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA's) banned list from Jan. 1.
Sharapova, the world's highest-paid sportswoman, claimed to have been taking meldonium on doctor's orders for 10 years and had failed to note that it had become a banned substance until hearing of her failed test at the first grand slam of the year.
She was provisionally suspended on March 12 pending the hearing.
Hundreds of athletes have tested positive for meldonium this year but WADA admitted last month that their bans might be overturned due to a lack of clear scientific information on how long the drug takes to be excreted from the body.
The drug's manufacturer said traces could remain in the body for several months depending on dosage, duration of treatment and sensitivity of testing methods.
The ITF's anti-doping program calls for a four-year suspension for a failed test but it can be reduced in various circumstances, such as for first-time offences or if the player shows no significant fault or negligence. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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