Odesnik fined for importing HGH

http://sports.yahoo.com/tennis/news?slug=ap-odesnik-hgh

BRISBANE, Australia (AP)—An Australian court has fined American tennis player Wayne Odesnik for importing human growth hormone into the country.

The 24-year-old Odesnik, ranked No. 98 in the world, was stopped by customs officers as he arrived in Australia in January ahead of the Brisbane International and Australian Open. Eight vials, each containing 6 milligrams of HGH, were found among his baggage.

Odesnik, 24, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday to importing the hormone and was fined $7,280 plus $1,040 in court costs.

The matter is now expected to be referred to the International Tennis Federation and Odesnik faces a possible two-year ban for possession of a prohibited substance.

Odesnik reached the quarterfinals at Brisbane before and the second round of the Australian Open.

Hopefully, he'll get banned for a couple of good years.

Li Ching Yuen said:

Hopefully, he'll get banned for a couple of good years.

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This is shocking news...wondered what happened to him the last few months...it will rock the sport of tennis and finally put paid to any illusions...
Tennis is NOT clean!
Really sad...hope he gets help from his family and friends...he is going to need it!

Darn! That's horrible. What was he thinking?

I just did a search and found Wayne has listed on the ATP site... Willy Canas as one of his coaches!...oh boy! here we go again...

raging said:

I just did a search and found Wayne has listed on the ATP site... Willy Canas as one of his coaches!...oh boy! here we go again...

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http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=319405

HGH is not detectable, he won't ever get banned unless he injects it on live tv.

I wonder how much Canas "influenced" him and how many are actually using HGH.
I bet it's at least 20% of the top50 players.

Re Canas
I knew it I knew it I knew iittttt

There is a blood test for HGH but it is only good for at most three days from use.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4940922

Wow. What an idiot.

dirtballer said:

There is a blood test for HGH but it is only good for at most three days from use.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4940922

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I don't think that the ITF is using those tests.

i hope he gets a light punishment , man what was he thinking

^^^ This says more about his intellect than anything else. What a moron.

Why on earth should he get a light punishment? The guy deserves a two year ban!

featherlight said:

i hope he gets a light punishment , man what was he thinking

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Just wondering, why are you hoping for a light punishment?

Who is canas?

First Agassi, now Odesnik. What a great few months for US men's tennis

Ledigs said:

Who is canas?

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Former top 10 player from Argentina.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Cañas

TennisFan008 said:

Why on earth should he get a light punishment? The guy deserves a two year ban!

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When a nobody like this punk is using it, it makes you wonder how widespread the problem is. Lifetime ban immediately, thankfully some athletes like boxer Mayweather stand up for mandatory blood testing to keep sporting events clean. Diabetics test themselves multiple times a day, and playing sports for money is a privilege not a right, so let's not hear it can't be done on grounds of "pain" or civil liberties.

dropshot winner said:

HGH is not detectable, he won't ever get banned unless he injects it on live tv.

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The article says he could get the 2 year ban for possesion of a prohibited substance.

I'm not expert on the actual rules here. They obv won't be able to prove with a drug test that he's actually taken it, but could he get the full 2 year ban for possesion? I would hope so.

Either way, this is idiotic for Odesnik. Maybe still not quite as braindead as Plaxico Burress carrying a gun to a nightclup in his sweatpants waistband and shooting himself in the leg, but its up there.

jackcrawford said:

When a nobody like this punk is using it, it makes you wonder how widespread the problem is. Lifetime ban immediately, thankfully some athletes like boxer Mayweather stand up for mandatory blood testing to keep sporting events clean. Diabetics test themselves multiple times a day, and playing sports for money is a privilege not a right, so let's not hear it can't be done on grounds of "pain" or civil liberties.

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Utter bollox. Playing sport for money is the same as doing anything else (legal) for money. It's a job like any other. A great job for sure, but a job nonetheless.

dcdoorknob said:

The article says he could get the 2 year ban for possesion of a prohibited substance.

I'm not expert on the actual rules here. They obv won't be able to prove with a drug test that he's actually taken it, but could he get the full 2 year ban for possesion? I would hope so.

Either way, this is idiotic for Odesnik. Maybe still not quite as braindead as Plaxico Burress carrying a gun to a nightclup in his sweatpants waistband and shooting himself in the leg, but its up there.

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Could he be banned for posession?

So, if the ITF testers finds an untouched marijuana plant on his house, could he be banned as well?

Interesting. Chump change in a way tho. If Dr. Fuentes complete list is ever revealed that will be monsterous.

jackcrawford said:

When a nobody like this punk is using it, it makes you wonder how widespread the problem is. Lifetime ban immediately, thankfully some athletes like boxer Mayweather stand up for mandatory blood testing to keep sporting events clean. Diabetics test themselves multiple times a day, and playing sports for money is a privilege not a right, so let's not hear it can't be done on grounds of "pain" or civil liberties.

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Especially when you're making this kind of money. Amen.

What kinds of benefits does HGH provide? I know it is prescribed for some people who are very short in their childhood. What are the side-effects?

No googled answers please. Speak from your heart.

sureshs said:

What kinds of benefits does HGH provide? I know it is prescribed for some people who are very short in their childhood. What are the side-effects?

No googled answers please. Speak from your heart.

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It dramatically shortens recovery time and can even prevent some muscle-related injuries.

Andres said:

Could he be banned for posession?

So, if the ITF testers finds an untouched marijuana plant on his house, could he be banned as well?

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In this case it is more than simply posession, isn't it? He was bringing it into Australia. What for? To give it to an Australian friend?

that's a good way to **** away a career

This is a very interesting development on two scores:

1) So much discussion about athletes possibly doing hgh and being able to get away with it because most sports drug testing is urine only. Very little proof previously however. Now we have someone caught with it in their possession.

2) However unless Odesnik admits to using it, I think we're going to see (another) uncertain investigation here. It's not a violation of WADA Policy to be in possession of an illicit substance I don't think - someone tell me if I'm wrong. Of course we can all agree he intended to use it, and probably had been using it, but without a blood test (which apparently the police did not do) I think it is going to be tough to suspend him frankly.

And I don't think he seems inclined to admit it because he's kept right on playing - in Australia and since, even in the qualies this week. What will his story be?

How can the pros not use it?

Interesting comment on THASP:

Interesting that he would try and smuggle it into Australia. Why didn't he just take it before he got there?

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The guy is just past the junior stage isn't it? Are US juniors taking HGH on a regular basis? Who supplies them? Do the parents and coaches know?

Texastennis

Why didn't he take it before he got there?

I presume he did but was planning to be in Australia for several weeks so planned to take it while he was there too. Someone here said even blood tests (very rare in tennis) only identify it if tested within three days of taking it which suggests that if you want to take it, your chances of doing so without detection are very good.

raging said:

I just did a search and found Wayne has listed on the ATP site... Willy Canas as one of his coaches!...oh boy! here we go again...

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Canas only just became his coach recently. Wayne has had a few different coaches in the last few years and he's been without one for stretches at a time since he got very little assistance from the USTA (they spend all their money on Kuznetsov, Simmonds, Sweeting, Evans, etc).

Dammit Wayne, this was stupid. Very stupid. Man up and face your punishment.

This will pretty much will end his career, won't surprise me if he comes out with the truth and names some names of bigger players using PED's and their sources, ala pro baseball.

Lsmkenpo said:

This will pretty much will end his career, won't surprise me if he comes out with the truth and names some names of bigger players using PED's and their sources, ala pro baseball.

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Why would it end his career? All he did was attempting to reduce the recovery times of weak kangaroo's.

I would be very surprised if the ATP/ITF don't believe that story .

dropshot winner said:

Why would it end his career? All he did was attempting to reduce the recovery times of weak kangaroo's.

I would be very surprised if the ATP/ITF don't believe that story .

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They certainly would if he was top 10, top 5 they would have swept it under the rug.

More info...

http://www.tennischannel.com/news/NewsDetails.aspx?newsid=7208

Tennis player Wayne Odesnik fined for HGH import

3/26/2010 11:47:00 AM
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -Wayne Odesnik, an American tennis player ranked No. 98, pleaded guilty Friday to importing human growth hormone into Australia before a tournament leading to the Australian Open. He was fined more than $7,000 and could be banned from tennis for two years.

The 24-year-old player was stopped by customs officers on Jan. 2 when he arrived in Australia ahead of the Brisbane International, a warmup for the year's first Grand Slam event. Eight vials, each containing 6 milligrams of the performance-enhancing substance, were found in his baggage.

Odesnik pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, the Australian Customs Service said in a statement late Friday. He was fined $7,280 plus $1,040 in court costs.

``We are extremely disappointed in the behavior of this individual, which is in no way representative of the sport of tennis,'' the ATP said in a statement e-mailed to the AP.

ATP spokeswoman Kate Gordon wrote that she couldn't comment on any details of the case because it's considered a ``current investigation.''

Odesnik was born in South Africa and moved to the United States as a toddler. He turned pro in 2004 and is something of a journeyman, with a 32-42 career record in tour-level matches, zero ATP titles and a best ranking of 77th.

He has reached one ATP final, on clay at Houston last year, and the highlight of his Grand Slam career was reaching the third round at the French Open in 2008.

The ATP Web site lists former top-10 player Guillermo Canas as Odesnik's coach. Canas served a 15-month ban in 2005-06 after failing a doping test.

U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Tim Curry said the USTA wouldn't comment. Tennis Australia also declined comment Friday, referring questions to the International Tennis Federation. The ITF said it was notified that Odesnik pleaded guilty.

``The case has been referred to the tennis anti-doping program, and we don't have any further comment,'' the ITF said in a statement to the AP.

Under the World Anti-Doping Authority code - to which the ITF abides - Odesnik faces a possible two-year suspension for possession of a prohibited substance.

Odesnik reached the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International and the second round of the Australian Open at Melbourne. He has since played in four tournaments in the U.S., advancing beyond the first round just once.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority was aware of the charges against Odesnik. It said in a statement it has ``power to receive information from Customs and to carry out investigations into possible violations of anti-doping rules.''

Marion Grant, a spokeswoman for the Customs Service's Border Protection Enforcement, said: ``This prosecution ... should act as an important deterrent for other elite athletes who are considering similar activities.''

Australia's Customs Act has an extensive list of performance-enhancing substances subject to import control.
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AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Fee said:

Canas only just became his coach recently. Wayne has had a few different coaches in the last few years and he's been without one for stretches at a time since he got very little assistance from the USTA (they spend all their money on Kuznetsov, Simmonds, Sweeting, Evans, etc).

Dammit Wayne, this was stupid. Very stupid. Man up and face your punishment.

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Fee, I feel sick...for exactly that reason..he has worked so hard to get where he is and I am not having a go at Willy...don't believe he would have anything to do with it after the drug allegations/his suspension...I had friends coaching on the tour..and there were whispers about lots of players from Argentina..others were charged..Mariano Puerta was still trying to recover and return last year...Guillermo Coria is another. They struggle to return.
It destroys lives..and I fear it could destroy his.
You are right...really dumb from Wayne.

You guys are retards, this is before Canas started coaching him.

Canas JUST started coaching and this happened back in January.:roll: Don't be stupid.

What I would like to know is how he thought he could get away with importing in in customs??
And so it seems he has ONLY admitted to importing it and not to actually using it,right?

raging said:

Fee, I feel sick...for exactly that reason..he has worked so hard to get where he is and I am not having a go at Willy...don't believe he would have anything to do with it after the drug allegations/his suspension...I had friends coaching on the tour..and there were whispers about lots of players from Argentina..others were charged..Mariano Puerta was still trying to recover and return last year...Guillermo Coria is another. They struggle to return.
It destroys lives..and I fear it could destroy his.
You are right...really dumb from Wayne.

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This happened in January, Canas only became his coach last week. Canas was not involved.

sureshs said:

What are the side-effects?

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You start looking like Dumbo.

malakas said:

Canas JUST started coaching and this happened back in January.:roll: Don't be stupid.

What I would like to know is how he thought he could get away with importing in in customs??
And so it seems he has ONLY admitted to importing it and not to actually using it,right?

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Well, he doesn't seem like a really smart fella', judging by the fact that he started using hgh in the first place.

So, there goes your answer.
I'm really gonna be happy if this guy gets banned for life, just to set up an example.

malakas said:

Canas JUST started coaching and this happened back in January.:roll: Don't be stupid.

What I would like to know is how he thought he could get away with importing in in customs??
And so it seems he has ONLY admitted to importing it and not to actually using it,right?

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Yes, he pled guilty to possession and that's all. Not sure how the ITF can handle that since they cannot actually prove that he used it (and I guess it's hard to detect anyway?) I guess we'll find out soon enough. No Wayne at Roland Garros this year.

Fee said:

Yes, he pled guilty to possession and that's all. Not sure how the ITF can handle that since they cannot actually prove that he used it (and I guess it's hard to detect anyway?) I guess we'll find out soon enough. No Wayne at Roland Garros this year.

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Don't the rules say that mere possession of illegal substances leads to punishment/a ban as well?

TheMusicLover said:

Don't the rules say that mere possession of illegal substances leads to punishment/a ban as well?

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I don't know, I'm too lazy to look, and I'm not going to speculate. I'll leave it to someone else on this forum to quote the ITF rulebook and provide a link this time.


The only thing that I will venture a guess on is that the ITF and WADA will handle this quickly, which is why I suspect that Wayne will not be at Roland Garros this year (as mentioned in my previous post).

Fee said:

I don't know, I'm too lazy to look, and I'm not going to speculate.

The only thing that I will venture a guess on is that the ITF and WADA will handle this quickly, which is why I suspect that Wayne will not be at Roland Garros this year (as mentioned in my previous post).

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Ok, thanks. I've read different things about it, will look it up myself.
I agree, ITF/WADA can't let this case off the hook, so much is obvious.

Andres said:

Could he be banned for posession?

So, if the ITF testers finds an untouched marijuana plant on his house, could he be banned as well?

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Weed is not a banned substance OOC.

TheMusicLover said:

Don't the rules say that mere possession of illegal substances leads to punishment/a ban as well?

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Yes. Possesion of HGH -> Bant