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SPORTSThursday 10 March 2016

Pound: Sharapova guilty of ‘willful negligence’ in drug test

STEPHEN WILSON This is a Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. file photo of Canadian Dick a drug that is basically to Baku, Azerbaijan. The drug
AP Sports Writer Pound, Chairman of WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Inde- help heart problems was was not banned at that
LONDON (AP) — Maria pendent Commission (IC), presents the findings of his Commis- administered,” he said. time.
Sharapova was guilty of sion’s Report surrounding allegations of doping in sport, during a Pound disclosed that in- The study found that 13
“willful negligence” for us- press conference in Munich, Germany. ternational tennis officials winners or medalists were
ing meldonium, and in- had flagged up the use of taking meldonium, 66 ath-
ternational tennis officials Associated Press meldonium to the WADA letes tested positive for it,
were aware that many committee that monitors and the drug was detect-
players were taking the year, taking full responsibil- sole enterprise you bet- the use of various drugs ed in athletes in 15 of the
drug before it was banned ity for her mistake. ter make sure the basis for and recommends whether 21 sports on the program.
this year, former World Anti- “An athlete at that level that commercial success, if to put them on the banned The research contributed
Doping Agency president has to know that there will nothing else, remains unas- list. to WADA’s decision to add
Dick Pound said Wednes- be tests, has to know that sailable,” Pound added in “Clearly, within the tennis meldonium to the banned
day. whatever she or he is taking the interview with the AP circle at least, they were list.Sharapova is being pro-
Pound told The Associated is not on the list, and it was on the sidelines of the Tack- aware that a lot of the visionally suspended by the
Press that Sharapova could willful negligence to miss ling Doping in Sport confer- players were using it (mel- International Tennis Feder-
face a ban of up to four that,” Pound said. “She was ence at Twickenham Sta- donium) and said that ation, which will hold hear-
years unless she can prove warned in advance I gath- dium. there must be something ings on the case and de-
mitigating circumstances er. The WADA publication Current WADA president to this, so they referred it to cide on any long-term ban.
to explain her positive test is out there. She didn’t pay Craig Reedie questioned the WADA list committee,” “She faces up to four years
for meldonium at the Aus- any attention to it. The ten- why Sharapova was pre- Pound said. sanction for this,” Pound
tralian Open in January. nis association issued sever- scribed meldonium. So far, Sharapova is the said. “There will have to be
Meldonium, a Latvian- al warnings, none of which “If the reports are true and only tennis player with a a review of whatever miti-
manufactured drug de- she apparently read.” this was happening when known positive test for mel- gating factors there may
signed to treat heart con- “I am sorry, if you are run- she was a teenager, then donium. be, and not many leap
ditions, was added to the ning a $30 million a year you begin to wonder why Meldonium, which is not to mind.” Pound said he
World Anti-Doping Agen- approved by the U.S. Food did not understand why
cy’s banned list on Jan. 1 and Drug Administration, Sharapova would have
after authorities noticed was banned by WADA been taking the drug for so
widespread use of the sub- because it aids oxygen long.
stance among athletes. uptake and endurance. The player said Monday
In announcing her positive Several other athletes in that she had taken meldo-
test at a news conference various international sports nium for a decade follow-
in Los Angeles on Monday, have already been caught ing various health problems
Sharapova said she had using it since it was banned including regular sickness-
been using the drug for Jan. 1. es, early signs of diabetes
10 years for various medi- A study published Wednes- and “irregular” results from
cal issues. The five-time day in the British Journal echocardiography exams.
Grand Slam champion of Sports Medicine found “Looking at it from 10,000
and world’s highest-earn- that up to 490 athletes may feet and from outside, you
ing female athlete said she have been taking meldoni- say, ‘I am sorry but that
hadn’t realized meldonium um during last year’s inau- doesn’t hold together,’”
had been prohibited this gural European Games in Pound said.q

In this Oct. 31, 2014, file photo, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, Continued from Page 17 jor Events Trust Fund, public today.”
of Germany, drives through the course during the first practice money spent largely to pay The track also booked a
session for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Cir- not only follows Haas F1 Formula One’s rights fees. race weekend concert by
cuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas. Team, but Formula One \ But that money was cut pop superstar Taylor Swift,
as a whole,” said Haas F1 by nearly $6 million last which Epstein said should
Associated Press Team Principal Guenther year when the fund was draw even more fans.
Steiner. put under control of Gov. “We’re investing in our fu-
“As an American team, it’s race on home soil. It helps Epstein declined to dis- Greg Abbott’s office and ture to bring new fans out,”
very important to have a cultivate a fan base that close how much the track state officials tweaked the Epstein said.
paid Ecclestone and F1, formulas used to calculate And to lure back fans
but money has been the reimbursement. scared away by last year’s
root of the track’s struggles Epstein said track officials rain, the track is offering
to keep the race afloat. determined they could ticket holders a 105 percent
Severe weather and flood- meet the state’s new refund if it rains 2 inches or
ing swamped the 2015 guidelines for reimburse- more in the 24 hours before
race weekend and all but ment in order to recover the race.
wiped out attendance at the entire $25 million. And Epstein said track officials
the race where Mercedes’ the track recently got a sig- are confident they can
Lewis Hamilton clinched his nificant local tax break on make the race financially
third consecutive champi- its property value. viable “for a long time.”
onship. “It was in pretty great jeop- “We think that this year’s
And soon after the race, ardy for the first 60 days af- event will restore fund-
state officials had more ter the last (race),” Epstein ing to the level we need.
bad news. told The Associated Press. If we’re wrong, it’s a bad
Track officials expected up “We had major obstacles miscalculation and I can’t
to $25 million per year for 10 to clear and it took clear- assure you it’s going to go
years from the state’s Ma- ing all of those to get us to forward,” Epstein said.q