pova just posted some new info

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Deleted member 3771

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Maria Sharapova
To My Fans:

https://www.facebook.com/sharapova/posts/10153282306932680

I want to reach out to you to share some information, discuss the latest news, and let you know that there have been things that have been reported wrong in the media, and I am determined to fight back.

You have shown me a tremendous outpouring of support, and I’m so grateful for it. But I have also been aware that some – not all, but some – in the media distort, exaggerate and fail to accurately report the facts about what happened.

A report said that I had been warned five times about the upcoming ban on the medicine I was taking. That is not true and it never happened.

That’s a distortion of the actual “communications” which were provided or simply posted onto a webpage.

I make no excuses for not knowing about the ban. I already told you about the December 22, 2015 email I received. Its subject line was “Main Changes to the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme for 2016.” I should have paid more attention to it.
But the other “communications”? They were buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts.

On December 18, I received an email with the subject line “Player News” on it. It contained a newsletter on a website that contained tons of information about travel, upcoming tournaments, rankings, statistics, bulletin board notices, happy birthday wishes, and yes, anti-doping information. On that email, if a player wanted to find the specific facts about medicine added to the anti-doping list, it was necessary to open the “Player News” email, read through about a dozen unrelated links, find the “Player Zone” link, enter a password, enter a username, read a home screen with more than three dozen different links covering multiple topics, find the “2016 Changes to Tennis Anti-Doping Program and Information” link, click on it and then read a page with approximately three dozen more links covering multiple anti-doping matters. Then you had to click the correct link, open it up, scroll down to page two and that’s where you would find a different name for the medication I was taking.

In other words, in order to be aware of this “warning”, you had to open an email with a subject line having nothing to do with anti-doping, click on a webpage, enter a password, enter a username, hunt, click, hunt, click, hunt, click, scroll and read. I guess some in the media can call that a warning. I think most people would call it too hard to find.

There was also a “wallet card” distributed at various tournaments at the beginning of 2016, after the ban went into effect. This document had thousands of words on it, many of them technical, in small print. Should I have studied it? Yes. But if you saw this document (attached), you would know what I mean.

Again, no excuses, but it’s wrong to say I was warned five times.

There was also a headline that said, “4-6 Weeks Normal Treatment for Drug in Maria Sharapova Case.” That headline has been repeated by many reporters who fail to tell their viewers and readers what the rest of the story says. The story quotes the manufacturer of my medicine as saying: “Treatment course can be repeated twice or thrice a year. Only physicians can follow and evaluate patient's health condition and state whether the patient should use meldonium for a longer period of time."

That’s exactly what I did. I didn’t take the medicine every day. I took it the way my doctor recommended I take it and I took it in the low doses recommended.

I’m proud of how I have played the game. I have been honest and upfront. I won’t pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing.

I look forward to the ITF hearing at which time they will receive my detailed medical records.

I hope I will be allowed to play again. But no matter what, I want you, my fans, to know the truth and have the facts.
- Maria

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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Newspapers write the spin that the organisations script to justify their actions, given journalists are actually thin on the ground.

Newspapers, which do employ a lot of loud-mouthed commentators, then froth at the mouth in line with the communis census.

Social media provides a gigantic megaphone for the views of loud-mouthed commentators to spread.

Evidence is what is brought to a hearing, not a newspaper.
 

Vanhool

Hall of Fame
Sharapova taking a shot at Nadal? And maybe even Federer?
Serena? Vika? Kvitova? Halep? Geez, who hasn't had an injury layoff (herself included). Throwing shade (one of her more endearing qualities, and I'm being sincere) and also deflecting attention from herself, getting people to speculate about the other players. Too bad, because I felt like the rest of the post made good points in her favor, and they would sound better without the bitter barb at the end.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Provisional suspensions are something you can accept confidentially so that if you are found guilty at a hearing your time starts from that date.

My understanding is that you could keep on playing until a hearing determines your fate, but you don't exactly play well when awaiting a hearing.

So people accept provisional suspensions and claim injury to the public and await their hearing.

I hope I got this all right, but this is what she is referring to.

THERE ARE NO SILENT BANS. THERE ARE HOWEVER SILENT PROVISIONAL SUSPENSIONS, IF THE PLAYER ELECTS.

The reason for this is that if the hearing finds in favour of the player then he or she faces no loss of public reputation.

Sharapova has simply chosen to make it known publicly that she's accepted a provisional suspension.
 

Sartorius

Hall of Fame
Serena? Vika? Kvitova? Halep? Geez, who hasn't had an injury layoff (herself included). Throwing shade (one of her more endearing qualities, and I'm being sincere) and also deflecting attention from herself, getting people to speculate about the other players. Too bad, because I felt like the rest of the post made good points in her favor, and they would sound better without the bitter barb at the end.

Yep. I think she actually dug a deeper hole for herself with that one line.
 

Man of steel

Hall of Fame
This will all just be used in court against her...she should stop posting....posting to her fans won't change anything
 

moonballs

Hall of Fame
"I won’t pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing."

Wow, doesn't this imply there are players who would pretend to be injured to hide positive tests? Then again Pova did annouce her injury first then his test result.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
No. You're wrong.

"I won’t pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing."

Wow, doesn't this imply there are players who would pretend to be injured to hide positive tests? Then again Pova did annouce her injury first then his test result.
 

citybert

Hall of Fame
Newspapers write the spin that the organisations script to justify their actions, given journalists are actually thin on the ground.

Newspapers, which do employ a lot of loud-mouthed commentators, then froth at the mouth in line with the communis census.

Social media provides a gigantic megaphone for the views of loud-mouthed commentators to spread.

Evidence is what is brought to a hearing, not a newspaper.
agree 100%. it is all junk these days. but unless they use ridiculous headlines to create click bait there is really no way for traditional media to survive. Grantland is an example of that- they had great stories with analysis and properly sourced and now theyre gone while vicesports and deadspin and even politico survive. And yes they can only blame themselves because they did not innovate or choose to disrupt themselves but at this point they need write sensationalist stories to live.
 

vive le beau jeu !

Talk Tennis Guru
OMG... it was rotated +90°right ! how can you read that ?! :eek:
just kidding, just kidding...

in fact, i kinda like her post... her words sound honest, she shares her understandable disgust at the vile -although expected- mediatic lynching targetting her (including false rumours) and admits her negligence.

that being said... if it's indeed a negligence (and i hope so), her team sucks a bit !
here's the electronic version of the "wallet card" she posted :
http://www.itftennis.com/media/220465/220465.pdf
do it yourself:
CTRL+F, meldonium... bingo. :confused:
(but maybe she only had the paper version ?)

if the rules are updated every year, all the players taking 'borderline/discutable drugs' (i assumed it was the case for this "meldonium' but maybe i'm wrong !) should at least take some time, once a year at the start of the season, to make some verifications, or have somebody of their team (when they can afford to have one) to do it !

PS: the 'I won’t pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing' is a gem
cow.gif
 

Terenigma

G.O.A.T.
One line from a facebook statement and this forum immediately jumps on the bandwagon and suspecting other players. Was it a dig? Maybe. However even if it was a dig, i highly doubt it was aimed at a male player. She wouldnt be "in the know" about such things. So to the people mentioning Nadal or Federer, just stop. Innocent till proven guilty.
 

Pagoo

G.O.A.T.
Lol, people are funny. I doubt Sharapova was referring to anyone. She pulled out of two tournaments in February citing injury. She also withdrew from IW citing injury. Obviously, she could have continued to pretend she was injured. I think that's what she means.

Why would she take a dig at Federer? I don't see it.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
Serena? Vika? Kvitova? Halep? Geez, who hasn't had an injury layoff (herself included). Throwing shade (one of her more endearing qualities, and I'm being sincere) and also deflecting attention from herself, getting people to speculate about the other players. Too bad, because I felt like the rest of the post made good points in her favor, and they would sound better without the bitter barb at the end.

Typical of her career-long corrupt behavior, Sharapova tries to drag others into the pit of immorality she occupies, wall to wall. Another sickening, desperate move to offset all that she earned in the past two days.

She's no different than someone attempting to become a witness by turning over evidence against former associates--anything to escape justice. Or, like the kings of drugged athletes--the Russians--accusing other nations of that which they define.

It is of little wonder she has few true friends in her profession.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Which doctor is she referring to anyway? She lives in the US, that medication isn't approved in the US. So her doctor lives in Russia or what? That's a bit weird isn't it? I think she needs to just cool it before she makes things worse for herself.

She may become a person of interest to DHS soon.:D
I think I read somewhere that it was her family doctor
 

Pagoo

G.O.A.T.
I think I read somewhere that it was her family doctor

Well, I guess all we can do is see how this plays out. But, it's still weird that after living in the US for years, her family doctor is in Russia. I mean, you can poke a lot of holes in her story.

Yeah, it's OK for her to respond and try to tell her side of the story.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Well, I guess all we can do is see how this plays out. But, it's still weird that after living in the US for years, her family doctor is in Russia. I mean, you can poke a lot of holes in her story.

Yeah, it's OK for her to respond and try to tell her side of the story.
Definitely agree. Sometimes I'm in the anti-pova camp but sometimes I believe her. There's flaws but the entire process has flaws.
 

Pagoo

G.O.A.T.
Yeah I think she was, she hasn't played a match since her Aus Open loss which is when she tested positive.

I recall during the Fed Cup,she was supposed to play the doubles match and not singles because she was "injured" According to her though, she only knew about the failed drug test last week. Who really knows the truth?
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Provisional suspensions are something you can accept confidentially so that if you are found guilty at a hearing your time starts from that date.

My understanding is that you could keep on playing until a hearing determines your fate, but you don't exactly play well when awaiting a hearing.

So people accept provisional suspensions and claim injury to the public and await their hearing.

I hope I got this all right, but this is what she is referring to.

THERE ARE NO SILENT BANS. THERE ARE HOWEVER SILENT PROVISIONAL SUSPENSIONS, IF THE PLAYER ELECTS.

The reason for this is that if the hearing finds in favour of the player then he or she faces no loss of public reputation.

Sharapova has simply chosen to make it known publicly that she's accepted a provisional suspension.

SHE IS NOT REFERRING TO THE MYTHICAL SILENT BAN SUFFERED BY ANY OTHER PLAYER AS THESE DO NOT EXIST.
 

Soianka

Hall of Fame
I won’t pretend to be injured so I can hide the truth about my testing.

OMG, OMG. What is going on? What is she hinting at?

Of course she would have pretended to be injured if ITF would have allowed it.

The ONLY reason she came forward is to get ahead of the story.

The rest of her post is nonsense. If she knew she was taking any medications or supplements, it's up to her and her team to check them against the list of banned substances. The list apparently comes out at the SAME TIME each and every year and she's been a pro player for 12 years or so.

She should just go away and serve out her suspension gracefully.
 

Soianka

Hall of Fame
Well, I guess all we can do is see how this plays out. But, it's still weird that after living in the US for years, her family doctor is in Russia. I mean, you can poke a lot of holes in her story.

Yeah, it's OK for her to respond and try to tell her side of the story.

You'd almost have to be mentally deficient to believe that Sharapova needed this drug for a medical condition and just coincidentally 98 other Eastern European athletes also had similar medical conditions.
 

bigserving

Hall of Fame
She didn't take it every day, sounds a little bit shady if she was really taking it for diabetes and a heart condition.
She didn't take it every day, only on the days that she had matches.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
The reality is that if a player accepts a provisional suspension and the hearing exonerates them, then he or she may have suffered what appears to be a silent ban.

But there is no silent ban. The player is guilty of nothing until there is a hearing.

They are given the opportunity to accept a suspension immediately while preparing for their hearing so any penalty starts from that date.

If Nadal or anyone else is injured there is the outside possibiliy that it is covering up the fact they took a provisional suspension.

But if the hearing exonerates them, then they just return as if the injury is over.

And the public is none the wiser about what happened.

Nothing has ever leaked about this ever having happened, to my perhaps outdated knowledge, but it's a possibility under the rules.

This rule exists so the player's reputation is not ruined by a positive control which is later set aside at a hearing.


As quoted above:

Roselyne Bachelot,
former French minister of the health and sport, Interviewed by Grand8 program yesterday, spoke about doping in tennis. According to her, silent ban is a very widespread method.

'They do not reveal nor positive controls nor sanctions given in tennis, but curiously it becomes known that a men's or women's tennis player who gets injured stays far away of the courts for months' - Bachelot said.

Bachelot criticized very much Nadal: "We know that Rafael Nadal's famous injury, that stopped him for seven months, is certainly due to a positive drug test. When you see that a player stays away for months is because he is positive. Not every time, but very often".
 
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