Sharapova - Cheat Or Not

[beyond our ken]

I don't think she is a cheat because from what I have read it isn't a performance enhancing drug.

I think she is daft/badly advised because she was given the information about banned substances but she supposedly didn't even read the email, nor did her team.

It got added to the list of banned substances, so taking it is cheating

[Guest TPAFKATS]

It got added to the list of banned substances, so taking it is cheating

Indeed

From Jan 2016 it's cheating

[beyond our ken]

In many ways this is irrelevant as it wasn't banned and she used it for around 10 years with the knowledge of the tennis authorities.

Bear in mind that every other elite athlete in her sport would be maximising their chances by taking legal supplements.

Presumably, there are side effects to this medication. With that in mind it becomes a gamble on the part of the athlete as to whether or not they take the stuff. I'm sure some have probably decided not to take it, but are taking something else, In that sense, being successful is less about your sporting abilities and more about how good you are at finding the sporting equivalent of legal highs.

for example, If Murray was to know all the stuff Djokovic takes, and vice versa, then they could even out that part of the playing field

[beyond our ken]

Indeed

From Jan 2016 it's cheating

Not necessarily so, presumably it is now banned for it's hitherto undetected or unproven performance enhancing qualities. The fact that it was legal does not mean that taking it was not cheating, it just means that the case had not yet been accepted.

Edited March 8, 2016 by beyond our ken

[Guest TPAFKATS]

Not necessarily so, presumably it is now banned for it's hitherto undetected performance enhancing qualities

Governing bodies can't retrospectively ban it when they were allowing athletes to use it.

She should and will be banned for the failed drug test, but she shouldn't lose previously won titles over it.

[Sonny]

In many ways this is irrelevant as it wasn't banned and she used it for around 10 years with the knowledge of the tennis authorities.

Bear in mind that every other elite athlete in her sport would be maximising their chances by taking legal supplements.

If she was taking a drug suspected of being performance enhancing even before it was banned then she was cheating. Maybe not in the Sports' laws but morally. The authorities and athletes and her advisors knew meldonium was being investigated. She was trying to gain an unfair advantage just like the bigots up the road.

[oaksoft]

No, from people who watch/know football, that counts you out.

Anyone who thinks you can tell when someone is offside from that still photo taken 30 to 40 yards behind the fecking offside line shouldn't be flaunting their stupidity in public.

[Kendo]

Anyone who thinks you can tell when someone is offside from that still photo taken 30 to 40 yards behind the fecking offside line shouldn't be flaunting their stupidity in public.

Weren't you confused about which players were offside ya trumpet.

[nosferatu]

If she was taking a drug suspected of being performance enhancing even before it was banned then she was cheating. Maybe not in the Sports' laws but morally. The authorities and athletes and her advisors knew meldonium was being investigated. She was trying to gain an unfair advantage just like the bigots up the road.

But surely its not "unfair" if its available for all athletes to use?

Caffeine used to be on the banned list. Now its not but its still being monitored. Is it cheating to drink a coffee before taking part in an athletic event?

Beetroot juice has several scientific studies which show that it enhances aerobic performance (the active ingredient being nitric oxide). Its not on the monitored list and its never been banned. I drink it every day personally.

Is that cheating?

What if WADA decides sometime in the future to put a limit on nitric oxide blood levels (or whatever)? Does that mean that anyone who used to drink a lot of beetroot juice cheated?

[nosferatu]

Presumably, there are side effects to this medication. With that in mind it becomes a gamble on the part of the athlete as to whether or not they take the stuff. I'm sure some have probably decided not to take it, but are taking something else, In that sense, being successful is less about your sporting abilities and more about how good you are at finding the sporting equivalent of legal highs.

for example, If Murray was to know all the stuff Djokovic takes, and vice versa, then they could even out that part of the playing field

I would imagine that most athletes know pretty much everything out there.

[nosferatu]

Not necessarily so, presumably it is now banned for it's hitherto undetected or unproven performance enhancing qualities. The fact that it was legal does not mean that taking it was not cheating, it just means that the case had not yet been accepted.

My reading is that it was not on the banned list pre Jan 2016 so taking it was not cheating (just as drinking a lot of coffee now is not cheating).

However, post Jan 2016 it is cheating (just as drinking loads of coffee used to be cheating).

[Guest TPAFKATS]

If she was taking a drug suspected of being performance enhancing even before it was banned then she was cheating. Maybe not in the Sports' laws but morally. The authorities and athletes and her advisors knew meldonium was being investigated. She was trying to gain an unfair advantage just like the bigots up the road.

It was only on the watched list for a year or so prior to being banned. She has been taking it for around 10 years. I'm not saying she didn't realise she was getting boost, just that it wasn't cheating to do so. Same as caffeine.

If it ain't banned, it ain't illegal is pretty much the crux of it here.

Otherwise where do you draw the line? Is an athlete who has access to better nutrition gaining an unfair advantage?

[Kendo]

It was only on the watched list for a year or so prior to being banned. She has been taking it for around 10 years. I'm not saying she didn't realise she was getting boost, just that it wasn't cheating to do so. Same as caffeine.

If it ain't banned, it ain't illegal is pretty much the crux of it here.

Otherwise where do you draw the line? Is an athlete who has access to better nutrition gaining an unfair advantage?

This isn't the same as drinking coffee, she says she was taking the drug for a diabetic problem. As pointed out on News Night last night how many diabetics take this drug?

Had she said she was taking the drug because it was legal and she wanted to enhance her performance then that would have more like the truth. However it sounds pretty bad, does it not? I don't think tennis players drink coffee at to enhance their performance.

If you believe her story then you would believe Oscar Pistorius didn't mean to shoot his girlfriend.

[Sonny]

But surely its not "unfair" if its available for all athletes to use?

Caffeine used to be on the banned list. Now its not but its still being monitored. Is it cheating to drink a coffee before taking part in an athletic event?

Beetroot juice has several scientific studies which show that it enhances aerobic performance (the active ingredient being nitric oxide). Its not on the monitored list and its never been banned. I drink it every day personally.

Is that cheating?

What if WADA decides sometime in the future to put a limit on nitric oxide blood levels (or whatever)? Does that mean that anyone who used to drink a lot of beetroot juice cheated?

Rangers used EBTs. Not illegal, but they gained an unfair advantage. For me 'illegal' is as much a moral question as a legal one.

If she was genuinely using the drug for a medical condition then that should have been brought to the attention of the sport's authorities as exemptions can be made. The authorities had it on a watched list for a year at least prior to banning. And could the medication be changed for an alternative as soon as it went on the watched list prior to it being banned? If a change was not possible is she then and now putting her sport above her health? If an alternative is available why was that not substituted knowing a banning was a possibility? Too many pertinent questions need answering. Or she knew all along that the drug was performance enhancing and the stories about a health issue are to stop her sponsors from walking away.

[Guest TPAFKATS]

Her sponsors are already walking away - Nike and Porsche.

A bit ironic considering Porsche is part of the VW group that's just admitted cheating it's performance data.

[beyond our ken]

My reading is that it was not on the banned list pre Jan 2016 so taking it was not cheating (just as drinking a lot of coffee now is not cheating).

However, post Jan 2016 it is cheating (just as drinking loads of coffee used to be cheating).

Getting access to a drug like that requires at least one of two things

• A medical condition that warrants the prescription, making it free to you via a health service or health insurance plan, or
• having the money to be able pay a physician who will prescribe it for you, knowing that it is not medically required.

I don't think Shara is in the former category (could be wrong, i suppose) but she is definitely in the latter. This gives her access to drugs that people struggling at the entry level of the game can't buy. Whether it is through winnings or through sponsorship, she got a competitive advantage that is not available to lower-end players, many of whom she will have beaten as she amassed her haul of trophies. To me, there is a very fine line between leveraging an advantage and cheating-the fact that the susbstance is NOW banned suggests to me that the authorities consider that it was an unfair advantage.

[Guest TPAFKATS]

This isn't the same as drinking coffee, she says she was taking the drug for a diabetic problem. As pointed out on News Night last night how many diabetics take this drug?

Had she said she was taking the drug because it was legal and she wanted to enhance her performance then that would have more like the truth. However it sounds pretty bad, does it not? I don't think tennis players drink coffee at to enhance their performance.

If you believe her story then you would believe Oscar Pistorius didn't mean to shoot his girlfriend.

It doesn't matter what she was taking the medication for as it wasn't banned.

Until WADA banned this substance no one was cheating by using it, they were simply trying to gain a competitive advantage.

Many sportspeople drink a wee espresso or two prior to training or competing. This includes golf and cycling, why would tennis be different?

I'm not saying I believe all of her story, having seen clips of her press conference I hope she doesn't think she's got a career in acting ahead of her.

As for pistorius ffs, how many peroni 's have you had?

[nosferatu]

Rangers used EBTs. Not illegal, but they gained an unfair advantage. For me 'illegal' is as much a moral question as a legal one.

If she was genuinely using the drug for a medical condition then that should have been brought to the attention of the sport's authorities as exemptions can be made. The authorities had it on a watched list for a year at least prior to banning. And could the medication be changed for an alternative as soon as it went on the watched list prior to it being banned? If a change was not possible is she then and now putting her sport above her health? If an alternative is available why was that not substituted knowing a banning was a possibility? Too many pertinent questions need answering. Or she knew all along that the drug was performance enhancing and the stories about a health issue are to stop her sponsors from walking away.

The EBTs may not have been illegal but the improper registration of players in order to make the EBTs work is where they cheated.

[faraway saint]

It doesn't matter what she was taking the medication for as it wasn't banned.

Until WADA banned this substance no one was cheating by using it, they were simply trying to gain a competitive advantage.

Many sportspeople drink a wee espresso or two prior to training or competing. This includes golf and cycling, why would tennis be different?

I'm not saying I believe all of her story, having seen clips of her press conference I hope she doesn't think she's got a career in acting ahead of her.

As for pistorius ffs, how many peroni 's have you had?

This, as I see it, is a major issue.

She was using this drug for nothing more than the effects it had on her body to gain an advantage, not a a medical requirement.

You call it a competitive advantage, I call it unfair and cheating.

Now it's officially a banned substance as it became clear it was being used for cheating.

[Guest TPAFKATS]

Getting access to a drug like that requires at least one of two things

• A medical condition that warrants the prescription, making it free to you via a health service or health insurance plan, or
• having the money to be able pay a physician who will prescribe it for you, knowing that it is not medically required.

I don't think Shara is in the former category (could be wrong, i suppose) but she is definitely in the latter. This gives her access to drugs that people struggling at the entry level of the game can't buy. Whether it is through winnings or through sponsorship, she got a competitive advantage that is not available to lower-end players, many of whom she will have beaten as she amassed her haul of trophies. To me, there is a very fine line between leveraging an advantage and cheating-the fact that the susbstance is NOW banned suggests to me that the authorities consider that it was an unfair advantage.

Ok, but everything about team Sharapova gives her an advantage over those at the lower end of the tour.

You could say the same about Murray or any other elite tennis professional - they all gain and maximise their advantage through the team of experts supporting them and sponsors financing them.

[nosferatu]

Getting access to a drug like that requires at least one of two things

• A medical condition that warrants the prescription, making it free to you via a health service or health insurance plan, or
• having the money to be able pay a physician who will prescribe it for you, knowing that it is not medically required.

I don't think Shara is in the former category (could be wrong, i suppose) but she is definitely in the latter. This gives her access to drugs that people struggling at the entry level of the game can't buy. Whether it is through winnings or through sponsorship, she got a competitive advantage that is not available to lower-end players, many of whom she will have beaten as she amassed her haul of trophies. To me, there is a very fine line between leveraging an advantage and cheating-the fact that the susbstance is NOW banned suggests to me that the authorities consider that it was an unfair advantage.

But caffeine was once in the banned list and is currently monitored (meaning it could be banned in future again).

Its cheap and widely available.

If caffeine is banned sometime in the future does that mean that all athletes who currently drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee are cheating?

[Guest TPAFKATS]

This, as I see it, is a major issue.

She was using this drug for nothing more than the effects it had on her body to gain an advantage, not a a medical requirement.

You call it a competitive advantage, I call it unfair and cheating.

Now it's officially a banned substance as it became clear it was being used for cheating.

Allegedly she didn't need to use it for medical reasons ;-)

Yes, it became clear that athletes were using it to gain advantage and now it's been banned. Not sure you can call it unfair and cheating if everyone could do it.

It's just modern day sport unfortunately.

[nosferatu]

This, as I see it, is a major issue.

She was using this drug for nothing more than the effects it had on her body to gain an advantage, not a a medical requirement.

You call it a competitive advantage, I call it unfair and cheating.

Now it's officially a banned substance as it became clear it was being used for cheating.

It was being used to gain a competetive advantage. If wasn't cheating until it went on the banned list!

Ffs

[faraway saint]

But caffeine was once in the banned list and is currently monitored (meaning it could be banned in future again).

Its cheap and widely available.

If caffeine is banned sometime in the future does that mean that all athletes who currently drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee are cheating?

You're really trying to put caffeine and a drug that was designed for medical reasons & had to be prescribed in the same bracket?

ETA FFS!

Edited March 8, 2016 by faraway saint

[Kendo]

It doesn't matter what she was taking the medication for as it wasn't banned.

Until WADA banned this substance no one was cheating by using it, they were simply trying to gain a competitive advantage.

Many sportspeople drink a wee espresso or two prior to training or competing. This includes golf and cycling, why would tennis be different?

I'm not saying I believe all of her story, having seen clips of her press conference I hope she doesn't think she's got a career in acting ahead of her.

As for pistorius ffs, how many peroni 's have you had?

If it doesn't matter why she was taking it why doesn't she come out and say she was using it to enhance her performance?