Puerta - Banned For 8 Years

[Power_Player]

ITF Anti-Doping Press Release - Decision in the case of Mariano Puerta
The International Tennis Federation announced today that an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal convened under the ITF’s 2005 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has found that Mariano Puerta has committed a Doping Offence under the Programme.

The independent Anti-Doping Tribunal has ruled that Mr Puerta, a 27-year-old Argentine national, committed a Doping Offence under Article C.1 of the Programme (presence of a prohibited substance in a sample), in that a sample that he provided on 5 June 2005, immediately after the men's singles final of Roland Garros in Paris, tested positive for a stimulant (etilefrine), a substance prohibited in competition under the WADA Code and the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

The independent Tribunal, consisting of Mr Tim Kerr QC, Dr Jose Pascual and Dr Inggard Lereim, heard the matter in London on 6 and 7 December 2005. The Tribunal determined that Mr Puerta's analytical positive result was caused by an inadvertent administration of etilefrine. The Tribunal therefore confirmed the commission of a Doping Offence under Article C.1 of the Programme and automatically disqualified Mr Puerta’s results at Roland Garros, requiring forfeiture of entry ranking points, and prize money of € 440,000 in singles and € 3,282 in doubles.

Mr Puerta was banned by the ATP in 2003 for a Doping Offence (presence of clenbuterol in his sample) and served a nine-month ban from the sport for that offence. The positive test for etilefrine from Roland Garros was therefore his second offence. The independent Anti-Doping Tribunal rejected a defence of No Fault or Negligence, but accepted an alternative plea of No Significant Fault or Negligence. In accordance with the WADA World Anti-Doping Code it therefore imposed an eight-year suspension from competition, commencing 5 June 2005. It also determined that the results he obtained in events subsequent to Roland Garros should also be disqualified and the entry ranking points and prize money of US$ 330,925 gained in those events forfeited.

The tribunal's written decision with reasons is available as a PDF below. Any party wishing to appeal the decision will have three weeks to do so from receipt of the written decision.

The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is a comprehensive and internationally recognised drug-testing programme that applies to all players competing at tournaments sanctioned by the ITF, ATP and WTA Tour. Players are tested for substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Charges of breach of the Programme are heard by an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal.
__________________

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/4549544.stm

 

[@wright]

!Adios Mariano! You have to think he will appeal it, or his career is over.

 

[DashaandSafin]

8 YEARS?????
WHAT THE HELL?
Who gets banned for 8 years? Might as well ban him for life. This is a bit harsh and extreme...

 

[fantom]

Harsh? He's already been caught once.

 

[Rabbit]

Better living through chemistry...

I'd like to know just exactly what this substance is supposed to enhance.

 

[@wright]

I'm sure it's not helping his mood either. Can you say 'roid rage?

 

[Batoussai]

That substance was, according to him, helping his cold he had during RG. It was summer

This penalty is just right for people who were caught twice. No third chance...

 

[snowpuppy]

maybe they should take the RG runner up trophy too. Unlike teams sports, doping has a clear and direct effect on your results. Or they can put an Asterisk next to his results.

 

[FiveO]

I think the penalty is appropriate. It works out as a career ender for the two-time offender Puerta and sends a message to the next teen phenom considering a little P.E. to gain an edge. That teen will have to weigh forfeiting half a career, potentially the best half, against whatever edge he gains. Good ruling.

 

[DashaandSafin]

That substance was, according to him, helping his cold he had during RG. It was summer

This penalty is just right for people who were caught twice. No third chance...

Psh i belive that. Im assuming you belive the old tale of only getting colds during the winter. For your information, the cold does NOTHING in promoting getting a cold. The reason more people get colds during the winter is becuase more people are inside, thus more likely to spread the disease. Think about it, how would the cold weather give you a diesease. Air has no virus in itself.

 

[Ash Doyle]

I too think the ban is appropriate. PE Drugs need to stay out of tennis, and that will never be done if the players just laugh at the punishment. No one will be laughing at this.

Also, I read that the eight-year ban ends his carreer, but it will allow him to be involved in coaching or the business side of tennis after the eight years is over.

 

[basil J]

How can they take back all of his prize money for any other subsequent tournament unless he tested positive at that tournament? that is gross assumption and will probably not hold up in court. Plus he has to give back #330K??
He may have been clean at other events?
8 years is ridiculous.. No other major league sport would impose such a ban.
if this goes through he could be broke and done.. I doubt he would or could make a comeback at 35 years old..
This type of ruling is ridiculous. I understand that they are sending a message but let's get real here. For every guy that gets caught, there are probably 10 others tinkering around with supplements and substances that will give them a boost. I have never even heard of etilefrine?? What is it supposed to do??

 

[Tchocky]

WTF! That is harsh but what's up with all these Argentines? Are they just stupid or is this just an honest mistake?

 

[DashaandSafin]

All i know is no other major sport does 8 freaking year bans. Hell no to baseball, where the "ban" is a couple of measly games.
Well i dont really like Puerta anyway....just something about him. But i dont want to see him dead broke though, and all the years hard work down the drain.

 

[Ash Doyle]

How can they take back all of his prize money for any other subsequent tournament unless he tested positive at that tournament?

Because once he tested positive at the FO he was technically not elligible to play in the following events because technically the ban begins with the tournament where he tested positive.

8 years is ridiculous.. No other major league sport would impose such a ban.

Then I pity the other sports whose rules enforcement is all bark and no bite. Why do people think this kind of offence is not serious and shouldn't have a serious punishment?

This type of ruling is ridiculous. I understand that they are sending a message but let's get real here. For every guy that gets caught, there are probably 10 others tinkering around with supplements and substances that will give them a boost. I have never even heard of etilefrine?? What is it supposed to do??

So his defence should have been: "Everybody else is doing it"? Thats a defense only used by ten year olds...it doesn't really stand up in court. Hopefully, the other offenders will be caught too.

 

[Ash Doyle]

All i know is no other major sport does 8 freaking year bans. Hell no to baseball, where the "ban" is a couple of measly games.

Baseball has the weakest rules there are regarding PE drugs. Their rules are a complete joke, and show they aren't serious about getting the drugs out of the game. We should be thankful tennis is more serious.

 

[AndrewD]

Better living through chemistry...

I'd like to know just exactly what this substance is supposed to enhance.

Quite an irony that a rabbit would ask the question LOL.

Etilefrine, while it is used in cases of hypertension, is most commonly used to treat priapism. There are other uses but priapism is the most common. Strangely, it's listed as a stimulant which seems at odds with what it's intended to treat LOL.

Now, why he'd be suffering from priapism, if that's what it was, I've got no idea. How he could be suffering from it and playing international tennis - or any sport at all- leaves me doubly stumped.

Im no doctor but could it be a masking agent or, given its main use, a blood thinning agent ?

 

[splink779]

Good to get this guy out of the game. He stole the finalist spot at Roland Garros from someone who could have earned it. Kudos to Nadal for still beating the doper.

 

[tangerine]

I'm glad that the ITF takes doping in tennis seriously (unlike baseball, where players freely dope and nobody cares).

Pretty stupid of Puerta to dope again after being caught the first time. Hope he thought it was worth it, and I hope the Argentines learn a lesson in this.

 

[wings56]

quite a shame, I think the baseball players only have to take a few weeks off...

 

[Ash Doyle]

quite a shame, I think the baseball players only have to take a few weeks off...

If you ask me, I think it's quite a shame that baseball has such weak rules against this kind of thing. Why do so many of you see this as something so minor? Has baseball set the mentality of most of you that this is no big deal?

 

[Rabbit]

Agassi was quoted as saying that under the rules for doping, he can pretty much only drink water. I'm for keeping performance enhancing drugs out of sports, but if Agassi wasn't exaggerating, is tennis going overboard?

 

[vkartikv]

This is from bbc sport

'Puerta claimed the drug entered his body just before the final after he inadvertently used a glass that had previously been used by his wife, who takes a treatment containing etilefrine.'

That seems like a lame excuse, drinking from a glass used by his wife!! The ban is not harsh, it just serves as a warning for others who take/plan to take drugs.

 

[rhubarb]

That substance was, according to him, helping his cold he had during RG. It was summer

The explanation he came up with at the tribunal was that he used a glass that his wife used to take something for pain relief, I believe.

 

[Ash Doyle]

Agassi was quoted as saying that under the rules for doping, he can pretty much only drink water. I'm for keeping performance enhancing drugs out of sports, but if Agassi wasn't exaggerating, is tennis going overboard?

As far as I know, they use the same list of banned substances that the Olympic Committee uses. For a while after the whole Greg Rusedski thing a lot of athletes were avoiding allowed substances out of the fear that they could be tainted with banned substances since that was the defense Rusdeski used, but according to a committee that looked into how the Rusedski case was handled this defense was completely false. That case is what prompted drug testing to be handed over the group who handles it now.

 

[mdhubert]

I'm glad that the ITF takes doping in tennis seriously (unlike baseball, where players freely dope and nobody cares).

Pretty stupid of Puerta to dope again after being caught the first time. Hope he thought it was worth it, and I hope the Argentines learn a lesson in this.

Tangerine_dream, is that you ?

 

[basil J]

Ok a couple of things to consider here that I was unaware of. I always give people the benefit of doubt, however, Things are becoming clearer here.
If in fact the drug he was caught using is indeed for hypertension then his defense is total BS. Give him the boot and I retract my previous post. If his wife is taking it and he drank from the same glass, what is the likelihood that there would be enough residue left in the glass to be caught as a measurable amount in his blood stream?? Would he be aware of his wife's medication and the implications if he were to consume it. I'd say probably yes.BS Give him the boot!
8 years is harsh, but anyone caught before and then is careless enough to get caught again?? Adios amigo..
Enjoy retirement...

 

[FiveO]

Agassi was quoted as saying that under the rules for doping, he can pretty much only drink water. I'm for keeping performance enhancing drugs out of sports, but if Agassi wasn't exaggerating, is tennis going overboard?

My sense of this would be that AA took some liberal literary license for dramatic impact.

I'm sure that the banned lists are provided to players and explanations of OTC drugs containing the substances and applicable substitutes recommended for whatever malady the player is suffering from are also made available. I've heard no complaints from players that they were uninformed or kept in the dark regarding what does and doesn't constitute a banned substance. Are they tasked with the responsibility of due dilligence as to what scripts and OTC's they use? Sure.

Overboard? I don't think so.

If any one of our livelihoods were subject to termination if you took a particular cold remedy containing ingredient "X" wouldn't you or I do everything in our power to avoid approaching that hot stove. Puerta in particular, having tested positive once, should have exercised more than due dilligence. If that means he compels everyone around him to choose remedies that are from the same drug schedule his profession abides by, so be it. I don't think that is too high a price to pay for the earned privalege of competing on the world stage of tennis especially if that particular player is a "one time loser" already.

 

[tennisjunkiela]

wow! this is the story of the year in tennis!

8 years seems a little harsh BUT
this is his 2nd time so, he should have been more careful about what he puts into his body, since he's saying it was a mistake.

The message is loud and clear - no drugs in tennis! And i think that is a good thing.

 

[FED-EX]

That substance was, according to him, helping his cold he had during RG. It was summer

summer in the north hemisphere only, he's argentinian...

 

[Kevin T]

The IOC banned substances list is hundreds (if not thousands) of products long. It's ultimately the player's responsibility, along with his coach/trainer/MD/etc. According to the IOC, even caffeine at excessive levels is banned. Baseball gets off easy because they have the strongest union, by far, of any pro sport. I agree with the suspension because Puerta is a 2 time offender. Maybe tennis needs a better union.

 

[nononsense]

It is surprising if in fact etilefrine is used to treat hypertension. Usually stimulants constrict blood vessels, increase heart rate, and raise blood pressure. Maybe that substance helped eleviate tension by opening up his airways a bit to allow him to relax more. He probably used that substance for the advantage of having more focus, reaction, stamina, and psychological self-inflated confidence. The stupid thing is, if he really needed that stuff, he could of had his doctor send in a request for an exemption. I know that the first time he attempted to do so and then the request wasn't received and approved by the authorities on time, because of poor paper work, faxing and or follow-up on his behalf. One of his excuses was that he thought the approval went through. As for the strike 2 occurance, I'm not too sure what happened.

The ban seems appropriate. Stimulant use for an endurance sport such as tennis is dangerous.

 

[norcal]

"The Tribunal determined that Mr Puerta's analytical positive result was caused by an inadvertent administration of etilefrine."

Does this mean the tribunal believed his bs story and just does not care how the stuff gets in your system?

 

[vantagepoint]

It is, sadly, the right decision. A one-strike offender should have been careful, and interviewed his wife bedside or table-side what she took - unless that's just a cover story.

As for Agassi's comments, they are not to be taken seriously. He is given to poetic license. It may also be true, as some have implied, that more has gone into Andre's system over the years than he cares to detail.

As for the paranoid and hateful comments in the past weeks from Rabbit, under the guise of 'joking', you are absolutely right. I changed computers, forgot my password, couldn't get the TW system to recognize my new email address, and simply changed screen names. The language, style, insights and honesty are just the same. The notion that I invented a new screen name to fool my buddies Rabbit and Deuce is nonsense. My opinions - including about them - are the same as when I posted as 'larrhall.' I didn't take out an official announcement because I figured it interested nobody but you two nasty guys. Again, I posted exactly the same criticism of you as 'larrhall', so the rest is nonsense - as usual.

Puerta deserves his ban. I wonder about Lance Armstrong's story, more and more.

 

[kbg]

Didn't the reports allude to another, unnamed player from R16 who also tested positive? So far we've got Hood, Puerta, Sesil... An Argentinian newspaper is implying that the other positive test is a high-profile player. It's scary to think of it that way because both the ATP #1 & ATP #2 made R16 of RG. Who made R16 for the men and women again?

 

[Indy Tennis]

I just can't believe after getting nailed once that a player would take a banned substance a second time.

Either Puerta is incredibly stupid or amazingly unlucky.

 

[Pancho]

ITF Anti-Doping Press Release - Decision in the case of Mariano Puerta
The International Tennis Federation announced today that an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal convened under the ITF’s 2005 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has found that Mariano Puerta has committed a Doping Offence under the Programme.

I think Puerta had a good career especially getting to FO finals and making the ATP World Year end championships. He can still do exhibitions or coach or mentor other players. This is such a pity that Puerta may not have taken dope intentionally.

 

[nononsense]

"The Tribunal determined that Mr Puerta's analytical positive result was caused by an inadvertent administration of etilefrine."

Does this mean the tribunal believed his bs story and just does not care how the stuff gets in your system?

From what I believed they don't care about "ifs" or "hows". It's there then it's there. Then they go on with proceedings from that point on..

 

[Skppr05]

Banned for 8 years and he had to give up his roland garros prize money?! ouch....thats tough

 

[Kevin Patrick]

The three-man tribunal said the drug apparently came from effortil, a medication Puerta's wife takes for hypertension.

"We accept on the balance of probabilities that the player's contamination with effortil was inadvertent," said the ITF tribunal, which met Dec. 6-7. "The amount of etilefrine in his body was too small to have any effect on his performance."

The ITF said it was unclear how and when Puerta ingested the drug, but "we cannot see how it need have occurred at all if the player had exercised the utmost caution."

Besides forfeiting his prize money from the French Open, Puerta will give up his titles, prize money and ranking points won after Roland Garros. He is currently ranked No. 12 on the ATP Tour.

Since the French Open, Puerta has earned about $330,000 in prize money.

The ITF's sanction was welcomed by World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound.

"You're dealing with somebody who's tested positive twice in less than two years and clearly doesn't think the rules apply to him," Pound said.

Puerta, who joined the ATP Tour in June 1997, won his third career title in April at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco. He also won in Palermo, Italy, in 1998, and Bogota, Colombia, in 2000.

"It's awful news because Puerta is a nice guy," Argentine Tennis Association president Enrique Morea said. "They have ruined his career."

Puerta is one of six Argentine players caught up in doping cases in recent years. Guillermo Coria, Juan Ignacio Chela and Guillermo Canas served doping suspensions, and Martin Rodriguez received a warning for a positive caffeine test.

The other, doubles specialist Mariano Hood, has acknowledged testing positive for a banned drug at the French Open.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_y...5nYcB?slug=ap-puerta-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

[Marius_Hancu]

good message to the others ....

 

[STRman]

The eight year ban essentially ends his carreer and livelihood. Seems a bit extreme when you consider that a president can mass murder a couple of hundred thousand people, based on a lie, and not only keep his job, but get full salary and major medical for life.

 

[Richie Rich]

"It's awful news because Puerta is a nice guy," Argentine Tennis Association president Enrique Morea said. "They have ruined his career."

didn't he do that to himself? what a stupid bugger. after one ban why would he even go near someone or something that has been in contact with a banned substance?

the punishment fits the crime. Ben Johnson was banned for life after his positive test in 1988.

 

[cabernetjunkie]

"We accept on the balance of probabilities that the player's contamination with effortil was inadvertent," said the ITF tribunal, which met Dec. 6-7. "The amount of etilefrine in his body was too small to have any effect on his performance.

 

[Richie Rich]

wonder what will happen to Canas now? Coria better be careful too after his earlier ban.

 

[Prince_of_Tennis]

Isn't he 27? A two year ban would of ended his career. This is just an ! mark.

 

[textbook strokes]

I agree with the suspention, but the length of it seems very unffair. What is the purpouse of a penalty?: To set an example for other players?; To punish the transgressor?; You could achieve all that and more with less time without finishing the career of a man.
Why not a two years period for cases like this?.
Just my opinion, I-m very sad for him.

 

[Max G.]

Kind of sad that this happened, especially if it really was inadvertent.

Too bad we don't have any way of actually knowing...

 

[andfor]

Kind of sad that this happened, especially if it really was inadvertent.

Too bad we don't have any way of actually knowing...

This is the second time he was found using performance enhancing drugs, inadvertantly. Ignorance has been his excuse each time. Hmmmmm.......

 

[Jack the Hack]

The three-man tribunal said the drug apparently came from effortil, a medication Puerta's wife takes for hypertension.

"We accept on the balance of probabilities that the player's contamination with effortil was inadvertent," said the ITF tribunal, which met Dec. 6-7. "The amount of etilefrine in his body was too small to have any effect on his performance."
The ITF said it was unclear how and when Puerta ingested the drug, but "we cannot see how it need have occurred at all if the player had exercised the utmost caution."

Besides forfeiting his prize money from the French Open, Puerta will give up his titles, prize money and ranking points won after Roland Garros. He is currently ranked No. 12 on the ATP Tour.

Since the French Open, Puerta has earned about $330,000 in prize money.

The ITF's sanction was welcomed by World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound.

"You're dealing with somebody who's tested positive twice in less than two years and clearly doesn't think the rules apply to him," Pound said.

Puerta, who joined the ATP Tour in June 1997, won his third career title in April at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco. He also won in Palermo, Italy, in 1998, and Bogota, Colombia, in 2000.

"It's awful news because Puerta is a nice guy," Argentine Tennis Association president Enrique Morea said. "They have ruined his career."

Puerta is one of six Argentine players caught up in doping cases in recent years. Guillermo Coria, Juan Ignacio Chela and Guillermo Canas served doping suspensions, and Martin Rodriguez received a warning for a positive caffeine test.

The other, doubles specialist Mariano Hood, has acknowledged testing positive for a banned drug at the French Open.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_y...5nYcB?slug=ap-puerta-doping&prov=ap&type=lgns

I am all for the elimination of performance enhancing drugs in sports, however:

How can you ban someone for 8 years and take away $330K for ingesting such a small amount of a substance that it would have no effect on their performance? If there was no performance enhancement, there was no cheating - just carelessness.

For those that think the IOC standards are completely fair, I'll refer back to the case of Andreea Raducan, the 16 year old Romanian gymnast that won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She tested positive for trace amounts of pseudoephidrine (a IOC banned stimulant), which came from the over-the-counter cold medicine she was given by her team doctor to treat her flu symptoms. Even though the amount of the pseudoephidrine in her system was too small to have a performance enhancing effect, the IOC took the gold medal away from her. Again, there was no cheating, just carelessness, and the punishment was very harsh.

On the topic of standards, others have made negative comments about the MLB drug testing and enforcement program. This is understandably justified by the scandalous use of steriods in the recent past by some the games biggest stars (with no penalty), and by seemingly small sentences that initial offenders are getting now. However, MLB and the NFL do one thing right... when somebody tests positive for a banned substance, the punishment is almost immediate! There is no playing for another 8 months while committees tinker with the results and try to figure out if it is real. If Puerta tested positive at the French, there should be no way that he was eligible to keep playing for the rest of the year until this was sorted out. I think it's pretty embarassing that he was at the Masters Cup if the ATP knew that the test was positive, let alone all the other tournaments he played. It's not fair to Puerta, and it's not fair to any of the players he beat along the way for the past months since the French.

Also, is there any written standard for how long these punishments are? His first offense was a 9 month ban, and now he gets 8 years. This seems pretty arbitrary, and the ban was decided by a 3 man panel. If thats the case, what's to keep the panel from banning one person for life and another for a couple weeks?