Belgian pair's ban is appealed

[fps]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8392115.stm

The World Anti-doping Agency is to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the bans given to Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse.

The Belgian duo were suspended for a year by the Flemish Doping Tribunal (VDT) for breaching anti-doping rules.

Wada says the appeal will allow them to receive full details about the cases and possibly request a longer ban.

"To drop from two to one year there have to be justifiable elements," Wada legal director Olivier Niggli said.

"We're going to appeal because we still don't have all the elements which will allow us to decide whether a sanction of one year is appropriate," Niggli added.

"The scale of sanctions [under the world anti-doping Code] is between one and two years.

US Open semi-finalist Wickmayer was banned after failing to report her whereabouts three times, while the 29-year-old Malisse failed to report twice.

He also missed a test when unavailable at an address he had provided and was banned for a year.

Under Wada rules, elite athletes must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year, giving three months' notice as to their location.

Wickmayer and Malisse have already appealed to Cas, and are also taking legal action in Belgium as well as filing a complaint to the European Commission.

Niggli said Wada would meet with Flemish authorities on Friday, adding: "We need to see how we can coordinate our actions, and to be consistent in how we approach this case because the athletes seem to want to make it an affair of principles on different levels."

Meanwhile, Wada has ratified the guidelines for the Athlete Biological Passport which will enhance the fight against drug use in sport.

The association's executive committee approved the long-standing system which has been under consideration since 2002.

The system allows biological values provided by athletes to be plotted over time and abnormalities to be reported.


One thing stood out. You have to be available one hour each day, ok. But you have to give THREE MONTHS' NOTICE on that!? WTF!? i'm with murray and nadal that's ridiculous.

 

[Chadwixx]

Here is an idea for the idiots at wada, test people at the tournaments they are playing. Chances are they will be there. Not sure why the players are catering to you clowns.

 

[AM95]

Here is an idea for the idiots at wada, test people at the tournaments they are playing. Chances are they will be there. Not sure why the players are catering to you clowns.

totally agree..

I dont blame Malisse and Wickmayer. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to tell someone where you are for 365 days of the year, every single day. Thats impossible. They need to test at tournaments, that way its easier on the players and WADA

 

[dlk]

Here is an idea for the idiots at wada, test people at the tournaments they are playing. Chances are they will be there. Not sure why the players are catering to you clowns.

Yes, absolutely.

 

[fps]

totally agree..

I dont blame Malisse and Wickmayer. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to tell someone where you are for 365 days of the year, every single day. Thats impossible. They need to test at tournaments, that way its easier on the players and WADA

is it fair to say that most players know their tournament schedule in advance of the year?

would roddick, despite being injured, have had to travel to the tournaments he couldn't be a part of late this year, because he had already told the testers he would be there?

financially this would be very tough on players outside the top 50, not being able to play a tournament but having to go there anyway to fulfil testing commitments.

 

[mikro112]

Here is an idea for the idiots at wada, test people at the tournaments they are playing. Chances are they will be there. Not sure why the players are catering to you clowns.

totally agree..

I dont blame Malisse and Wickmayer. I mean, how the hell are you supposed to tell someone where you are for 365 days of the year, every single day. Thats impossible. They need to test at tournaments, that way its easier on the players and WADA

Yes, absolutely.

That would make ZERO sense from an anti-doping point of view. Most athletes who are doping, use the stuff during non-competition times and stop it sometime before the competition. The effect of the doping will still last through the upcoming competition though, but the stuff they used will probably not be in their body anymore.

That shows you three that it makes indeed more sense to have controls during the off-phases. The chances will be much higher then to catch the cheaters.

And for the 365 days: They have to tell that in front of the new season, but they can still change it during the season. I believe they have online access to that WADA computer system, which is not too hard to use for the majority of the pros (except Wickmayer maybe). But if she's too stupid to ask for help or to actually learn how to use the system, it's not the WADA's fault, is it?

 

[sureshs]

But if she's too stupid to ask for help or to actually learn how to use the system, it's not the WADA's fault, is it?

She is barely 18. The guys at WADA have nothing else to do but mail out letters while she has to travel and make a living and cannot receive registered letters sent to a place she is not at. It is WADA's fault if the system is stupid. Saying that it is the rule is not the point. When rules get draconian, they must be challenged. Let WADA take on the expense of locating each player physically and delivering the letters in person. Why don't they do that? The system is screwed up if a player doesn't take drugs but is banned on the basis of formalities. It is a power trip for officials, that is all. They can't play tennis, so they take it out on those they can. It is quite common in sports administration, actually.

 

[settolove]

She is barely 18.

So? If she is old enough to go out to play tennis for money she is old enough to understand and abide by the rules of her employer or to pay someone to make sure she is abiding by the rules. If she doesn't understand something she should have asked at the time, instead of behaving as if the rules don't apply to her. It's not like she doesn't have a team or something who could be making sure she is keeping up with all this stuff.

As for the WADA appeal, that is very interesting. Sounds like the Tennis Doping authorities aren't sharing information with them. Is anyone really surprised?

 

[sureshs]

So? If she is old enough to go out to play tennis for money she is old enough to understand and abide by the rules of her employer or to pay someone to make sure she is abiding by the rules. If she doesn't understand something she should have asked at the time, instead of behaving as if the rules don't apply to her. It's not like she doesn't have a team or something who could be making sure she is keeping up with all this stuff.

As for the WADA appeal, that is very interesting. Sounds like the Tennis Doping authorities aren't sharing information with them. Is anyone really surprised?

Do you think no-name players have a "team"? Absolutely not. They are hand to mouth. This argument that someone signed a contract and so is bound by all fine print is ridiculous when the person has NO other choice. If there was a way to be a professional player via a competing organization, it might make sense to say she has a choice. Otherwise, there is no choice. Unlike other sports, tennis players don't have a powerful union to back them up. They are on their own and at the mercy of the governing body.

 

[TheMusicLover]

That would make ZERO sense from an anti-doping point of view. Most athletes who are doping, use the stuff during non-competition times and stop it sometime before the competition. The effect of the doping will still last through the upcoming competition though, but the stuff they used will probably not be in their body anymore.

That shows you three that it makes indeed more sense to have controls during the off-phases. The chances will be much higher then to catch the cheaters.

And for the 365 days: They have to tell that in front of the new season, but they can still change it during the season. I believe they have online access to that WADA computer system, which is not too hard to use for the majority of the pros (except Wickmayer maybe). But if she's too stupid to ask for help or to actually learn how to use the system, it's not the WADA's fault, is it?

Exactly. Well said.
Though I agree that their ban is indeed *harsh*, all they had to do was just inform WADA on their whereabouts. With all the computers, cell phones, internet everywhere, was it really so hard for them to do so?
If so I hope neither of them has a driver's licence, wouldn't want to meet them on the highway behind a steering wheel.

 

[mikro112]

She is barely 18. The guys at WADA have nothing else to do but mail out letters while she has to travel and make a living and cannot receive registered letters sent to a place she is not at. It is WADA's fault if the system is stupid. Saying that it is the rule is not the point. When rules get draconian, they must be challenged. Let WADA take on the expense of locating each player physically and delivering the letters in person. Why don't they do that? The system is screwed up if a player doesn't take drugs but is banned on the basis of formalities. It is a power trip for officials, that is all. They can't play tennis, so they take it out on those they can. It is quite common in sports administration, actually.

Who cares if she's just 18? As said before, if she's able to earn $350,000 for reaching the US Open Semifinal, she should be able to pay somebody, who helps her only with the doping stuff, don't you agree? She also has a manager, right? Maybe it's her mom, maybe it's her dad. But she will certainly have somebody on her side. There is NO professional tennis player, who is playing and traveling completely alone!

It's clearly her fault and she knew about possible consequences before her mistake. Every person has to accept the consequences for his/her behavior, why not tennis professionals(!) ?

So please stop complaining about the "harsh" rules of the WADA in the sport of tennis. In other sports, athletes are tested multiple times a week. The tennis doping testing is simply ridiculously lax.

 

[Chadwixx]

That would make ZERO sense from an anti-doping point of view. Most athletes who are doping, use the stuff during non-competition times and stop it sometime before the competition. The effect of the doping will still last through the upcoming competition though, but the stuff they used will probably not be in their body anymore.

Maybe they should lose the 1980's pee test and move on to blood or hair. Saving samples til they get a clue on how to test for what current athletes are using would be an idea as well. They are a lazy, incompetent organization.

You want her to put someone on payroll so these assclowns can do the job their payed to? Laughable. Its their job to get the sample, not to convict people for not taking a test. Think these people are getting a little full on themselves.

 

[TennisFan008]

One thing stood out. You have to be available one hour each day, ok. But you have to give THREE MONTHS' NOTICE on that!? WTF!? i'm with murray and nadal that's ridiculous.

You can change it the day before... Did you really think they had to stick with what they planned 3 months in advance, genius? :roll:

Here is an idea for the idiots at wada, test people at the tournaments they are playing. Chances are they will be there. Not sure why the players are catering to you clowns.

Even a moron like yourself could get around drug testing if you knew they would only test you at the tournaments. :roll:

 

[David_Is_Right]

You want her to put someone on payroll so these assclowns can do the job their payed to? Laughable.

It's a tiny administrative detail that her agent can arrange. Let's not be so naive that we're actually going to put this down to a "mistake". Three times. It's not something a professional team would get wrong unless they had something to hide, precisely because of the penalties.

Its their job to get the sample, not to convict people for not taking a test. Think these people are getting a little full on themselves.

I think you're confused. WADA doesn't collect the sample. WADA is an organisation that creates guidelines that various sporting bodies can choose to follow. The ITF only signed up to the full WADA code recently. It's great that the ITF, which has shown to be deceptive and obstructive regarding doping, will have to be more accountable to an external body. I don't want to watch cheats. I want to watch clean athletes. Clean athletes also want to play against other clean athletes, which is why most players don't have a problem with the system.

And if the athletes were allowed to deny samples, why would anyone give one? It's painfully obvious that there must be a penalty for failing to provide a sample in addition to the penalties for failing a test, otherwise the system wouldn't work.