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A21
SPORTS Wednesday 16 august 2017
Maria Sharapova granted wild-card entry into U.S. Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Maria up skipping the grass-court
Sharapova was granted a portion of the season be-
wild-card invitation for the cause of an injured left
U.S. Open’s main draw on thigh.
Tuesday and will take part The USTA didn’t consider
in a Grand Slam event for her suspension in award-
the first time in more than ing the wild card, saying it
1½ years. was following past practice
Sharapova is among eight of granting them to former
women given entry into the U.S. Open champions who
128-player field by the U.S. needed them, such as Mar-
Tennis Association — and tina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt,
by far the most noteworthy. Kim Cljisters and Juan Mar-
The former No. 1-ranked tin del Potro.
player and owner of five “Her suspension under
major titles, including the the terms of the tennis
2006 U.S. Open, has not en- anti-doping program was
tered a major tournament completed and therefore
since the Australian Open was not one of the factors
in January 2016, when weighed in our wild-card
she tested positive for the selection process,” the
newly banned drug mel- USTA said in a statement. In this Aug. 27, 2014, file photo, Maria Sharapova, of Russia, returns a shot to Alexandra Dulgheru,
donium. The organization added of Romania, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New York.
That led to a 15-month that Sharapova had volun- Associated Press
doping ban, which ex- teered to speak to young
pired in April. She returned players at the USTA nation- clay at Stuttgart, Germa- Slam and become one of wild-card challenge win-
to the tour, but her ranking al campus about the im- ny. She’s only played nine the most recognizable — ner Sofia Kenin, USTA Girls’
— currently 148th — was portance of the tennis anti- matches this season. and marketable — athletes 18s national champion
too low to allow entry into doping program and the Sharapova was 19 when in the world. Ashley Kratzer and Aman-
major tournaments, and responsibility each player she won her U.S. Open tro- Also receiving wild cards dine Hesse of France. The
the French Open denied has to comply with it. phy. Two years before, at were: Taylor Townsend, final women’s wild card for
her a wild card. Sharapo- Sharapova has been par- 17, Sharapova won her first reigning U.S. Open girls’ singles will be an Australian
va planned to try to qual- ticipating in tournaments Grand Slam title at Wimble- champion Kayla Day, 2017 player named later.
ify for Wimbledon, but the via wild-card invitations, don. She has since com- NCAA singles champion The U.S. Open starts in Flush-
30-year-old Russian wound beginning in April on red pleted a career Grand Brienne Minor, U.S. Open ing Meadows on Aug. 28.q

Doping cleanup sibilities for conducting the cause of his doping history

Continued from Page 17 anti-doping program out — he’s served two bans.
“I thought in 2012, I was in
of its hands. A handful of
—The suspension of the former IAAF leaders are un- a cleaner race, and it turns
Russian track federation. der investigation for their out that Olympic final was
Only 19 Russians compet- roles in doping cover-ups probably one of the dirtiest
ed at this year’s worlds, and related corruption. in history,” said American
100 fewer than were pres- “We have to be open middle-distance runner
ent in Moscow in 2013. The about it,” IAAF president Se- Shannon Rowbury, who fin-
19 competed as neutral bastian Coe said. “There’s ished out of the medals in
athletes because the IAAF been a disproportionate a race in which no fewer
determined they’ve been amount of damage to the than five of the 1,500-me-
under proper anti-doping sport produced by a rela- ter finalists have been in-
controls. tively small number of na- vestigated for doping vio-
—Five countries, including tions, and we just have to United Staes’ Men’s 4x100 meters relay team, from left, Christian lations. Exhibit B (perhaps):
Coleman, Mike Rogers, Jaylen Bacon and Justin Gatlin pose on
distance-running power- get on top of that.” the podium with their silver medal at the World Athletics Cham- Eleven of this year’s 14 win-
houses Kenya and Ethiopia, As a sign of the IAAF’s will- pionships in London Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017. ning sprint times, including
have been placed on a ingness to tackle the issue Associated Press relays and hurdles, were
doping watch list — mean- head-on, the meet began down the roster in the Unit- next day. I think they’re as slower than in 2013, which
ing they are being closely with the reallocation of ed States, where athletes vigilant as they can be.” was the last world cham-
watched because of evi- medals from 11 races dat- are widely considered to Of course, it’s a delicate pionships held the year
dence that has surfaced ing to 2007. be subject to one of the proposition to attribute all after the Olympics. But a
about less-than-robust “It’s not a Russia thing, but world’s toughest anti-dop- these numbers to doping, portion of that — as well
anti-doping procedures in it is a thing that sometimes ing programs. or to assume all the prob- as Jamaica’s paltry show-
those countries. Jamaica you get out there and you “It’s not uncommon for lems are fixed. From Marion ing, with only four medals
has also been under in- wonder, ‘Do I have a fair athletes in our training Jones to Tim Montgomery — could be attributed to
creased scrutiny, which shot at this? If I’m doing the group to get tested every to Tyson Gay, Americans Bolt’s rough week; he won
has led to the stripping of a right thing, is everyone else month,” said U.S.-based have a history of doping bronze in the 100 meters
2008 Olympic relay medal doing the right thing?’” track coach Loren Sea- positives, reflected most and pulled up lame in the
because of doping by one said American sprinter grave, who trains athletes starkly during this meet by 4x100 with a hurt left ham-
of Usain Bolt’s teammates. Natasha Hastings, who re- from several countries. “On the fans’ reaction to Jus- string. The champion took
—The IAAF has established ceived a reallocated relay some occasions, you get tin Gatlin. The 100-meter umbrage to the linking of
an independent testing gold from 2013. tested on one day, and champion was roundly slow times and doping,
authority that takes respon- It’s a refrain shared up and they show up again the booed at every turn be- calling it “disrespectful.”q