Simona Halep Sues Company Over Supplement Linked to Doping Ban

[innoVAShaun]

Tennis365 Article: https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/simona-halep-sues-huge-damages-supplement-doping-ban-tennis

Simona Halep sues company for huge damages over supplement linked to doping ban

Story by Ewan West

Simona Halep is seeking more than $10 million in damages from a Canadian company that produced a nutritional supplement she believes led to her being handed a four-year doping ban.

The two-time Grand Slam champion is suing Quantum Nutrition, which operates as Schinoussa Superfoods, having tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.

Halep has said she took supplements produced by the company during the 2022 US Open and claimed that the Keto MCT product she consumed had been contaminated with Roxadustat.

Roxadustat is a substance legitimately used for the treatment of anaemia but is on the WADA Prohibited Substance list as it is considered a blood doping agent, which increases haemoglobin and the production of red blood cells.

Halep was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou from 2022 until her suspension and the Frenchman has accepted blame for providing a contaminated supplement for her.

“We brought her collagen from a company. This collagen happened to be contaminated. There was no way to know it. But I feel responsible for what happened because it’s my team—so me, basically—who brought her this collagen,” he said in a video on his Instagram account in November.

The former world No 1 was given a four-year ban from the sport for “intentional” doping offences by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in September. The Romanian denied having “knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance” and appealed the decision.

Halep appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from Wednesday February 7 to Friday February 9 for her appeal hearing, which took place at the CAS Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

[EggSalad]

She is going to open up herself and her orbit to a lot of discovery. Bold move.

 

[jimmy8]

Some people sued McDonalds, others sued Coca Cola for being fat. I think they won millions. But no one forced them to eat it. No one hid all the vegetables in the world from them. No one sold them vegetables that were contaminated with McDonalds.

How does Halep know she had supplements that were contaminated with a banned substance? Did she test her supplements? Does she have any of it left? Did she contaminate the supplements herself? Does she have an unopened sample of the supplements that will test positive for the banned substance?

I dont think she has evidence of her innocence because if she did she wouldn't be banned for 4 years.

 

[Jonesy]

At least she hooked that nice piece of man for a while.

 

[yonexRx32]

Some people sued McDonalds, others sued Coca Cola for being fat. I think they won millions. But no one forced them to eat it. No one hid all the vegetables in the world from them. No one sold them vegetables that were contaminated with McDonalds.

How does Halep know she had supplements that were contaminated with a banned substance? Did she test her supplements? Does she have any of it left? Did she contaminate the supplements herself? Does she have an unopened sample of the supplements that will test positive for the banned substance?

I dont think she has evidence of her innocence because if she did she wouldn't be banned for 4 years.

According to what I read, and if I remember it correctly, she had the supplements tested and they tested positive. She presented that evidence, and the "authorities" thought that the amount of Roxadustad in the supplements did not explain her positive results..

 

[nolefam_2024]

According to what I read, she had the supplements tested and they tested positive. She presented that evidence, and the "authorities" thought that the amount of Roxadustad in the supplements did not think that the contamination explained her positive results..

You are right. She did it on purpose. The authorities said they didn't think the contamination can actually cause such high levels.

 

[Pass750]

I hope that company that she is suing buries her.

 

[yonexRx32]

You are right. She did it on purpose. The authorities said they didn't think the contamination can actually cause such high levels.

“The roxadustat level is 0.2 nanograms per milliliter (in urine) for Simona Halep,” he added “It doesn’t mean anything anymore. You may have them if you take food supplements. It’s all nonsense.”
----Professor Jean-Claude Alvarez – director of the toxicology laboratory at the CHU de Garches and judicial expert for the French Supreme Court

In clinical setting, the lower limit of quantification for roxadustat was 1 ng/ml, in one widely cited pharmacokinetics article. Clin Drug Investig. 2016; 36: 743–751.

 

[yonexRx32]

I hope that company that she is suing buries her.

How do you feel about therapeutic use exemptions (TUE)?

"Documents published on the Fancy Bear website appeared to show that Serena Williams had taken the restricted drugs prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone, hydromorphone and oxycodone between 2010 and 2015, while her sister Venus had taken prednisone, prednisolone, triamcinolone and formoterol. Biles, meanwhile, was given methylphenidate for attention-deficit disorder. In all cases, however, Wada confirmed that the athletes had committed no offence because they had been granted therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) by the relevant international sports federations and national anti-doping organisations."
-- The Guardian

 

[inflation_era]

So? Was it the collagen or Keto MCT? Why this discrepancy?

 

[travlerajm]

subscribed

 

[yonexRx32]

So? Was it the collagen or Keto MCT? Why this discrepancy?

What discrepancy? The supplement claims to contain collagen and MCT oil. Turns out it also has other "benefits".

 

[socallefty]

Someone published the full doping report on here a few months ago. Apart from the PED she was busted for at the USO, they went and retested her blood and found consistent evidence of blood doping before big tournaments/Slams during the year. That’s why her appeal was not successful. I don’t think she is going to be able to revive her career or restore her name.

 

[yonexRx32]

Someone published the full doping report on here a few months ago. Apart from the PED she was busted for at the USO, they went and retested her blood and found consistent evidence of blood doping before big tournaments/Slams during the year. That’s why her appeal was not successful. I don’t think she is going to be able to revive her career or restore her name.

please provide the link.

 

[Humphrey20133]

I do not believe for a second that a drug like Roxadustat was found in her supplements. Sounds like a way to cover for herself. That is not common drug by any means, so I am not buying that story.

 

[travlerajm]

The mouratouglou confession is the weird part. Feels like a coverup of the coverup. Admit guilt to the tiny error to throw off the scent.

 

[yonexRx32]

I do not believe for a second that a drug like Roxadustat was found in her supplements. Sounds like a way to cover for herself. That is not common drug by any means, so I am not buying that story.

Well, your honor, if you don't believe it, then the case is closed. Clearly, what matters is not what the lab analysis shows but what YOU believe.

 

[PMF]

I was curious, so I Googled "do collagen supplements contain roxadustat?", and found the attached study. This must be Simona's test?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708523006842

 

[travlerajm]

I was curious, so I Googled "do collagen supplements contain roxadustat?", and found the attached study. This must be Simona's test?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708523006842

I suspect PM and Jean-Claude Alvarez, the author, are 1st degree connections on LinkedIn.

 

[yonexRx32]

I was curious, so I Googled "do collagen supplements contain roxadustat?", and found the attached study. This must be Simona's test?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708523006842

No, this is by an expert that Halep contacted after being accused of doping. The article, and a previous one by the same author, discusses re results of the doping test and compares them to lab tests. It compares hair samples from Halep to hair samples of a patient that takes roxadustat for medical reasons.

 

[yonexRx32]

I suspect PM and Jean-Claude Alvarez, the author, are 1st degree connections on LinkedIn.

Or maybe they're lovers.. unless they're cousins or a married couple, or both. What else do you suspect?

 

[Humphrey20133]

Well, your honor, if you don't believe it, then the case is closed. Clearly, what matters is not what the lab analysis shows but what YOU believe.

Still don't believe it, sorry.

 

[Humphrey20133]

Someone published the full doping report on here a few months ago. Apart from the PED she was busted for at the USO, they went and retested her blood and found consistent evidence of blood doping before big tournaments/Slams during the year. That’s why her appeal was not successful. I don’t think she is going to be able to revive her career or restore her name.

I saw this, too. Her Biological Passport had some wonky results, as well. Something was up, no doubt.

 

[NeutralFan]

Tennis365 Article: https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/simona-halep-sues-huge-damages-supplement-doping-ban-tennis

Simona Halep sues company for huge damages over supplement linked to doping ban

Story by Ewan West

Simona Halep is seeking more than $10 million in damages from a Canadian company that produced a nutritional supplement she believes led to her being handed a four-year doping ban.

The two-time Grand Slam champion is suing Quantum Nutrition, which operates as Schinoussa Superfoods, having tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.

Halep has said she took supplements produced by the company during the 2022 US Open and claimed that the Keto MCT product she consumed had been contaminated with Roxadustat.

Roxadustat is a substance legitimately used for the treatment of anaemia but is on the WADA Prohibited Substance list as it is considered a blood doping agent, which increases haemoglobin and the production of red blood cells.

Halep was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou from 2022 until her suspension and the Frenchman has accepted blame for providing a contaminated supplement for her.

“We brought her collagen from a company. This collagen happened to be contaminated. There was no way to know it. But I feel responsible for what happened because it’s my team—so me, basically—who brought her this collagen,” he said in a video on his Instagram account in November.

The former world No 1 was given a four-year ban from the sport for “intentional” doping offences by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in September. The Romanian denied having “knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance” and appealed the decision.

Halep appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from Wednesday February 7 to Friday February 9 for her appeal hearing, which took place at the CAS Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

She looks like 40 years old, it seems she has been eating lots of burgers lately.

 

[octobrina10]

Hmm.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1758530853628416472

 

[Rosstour]

Hmm.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1758530853628416472

I believe I've been saying this ever since she got caught. And I said it again in the thread about Rafa's academy/Saudi $

 

[tex123]

Tennis365 Article: https://www.tennis365.com/tennis-news/simona-halep-sues-huge-damages-supplement-doping-ban-tennis

Simona Halep sues company for huge damages over supplement linked to doping ban

Story by Ewan West

Simona Halep is seeking more than $10 million in damages from a Canadian company that produced a nutritional supplement she believes led to her being handed a four-year doping ban.

The two-time Grand Slam champion is suing Quantum Nutrition, which operates as Schinoussa Superfoods, having tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.

Halep has said she took supplements produced by the company during the 2022 US Open and claimed that the Keto MCT product she consumed had been contaminated with Roxadustat.

Roxadustat is a substance legitimately used for the treatment of anaemia but is on the WADA Prohibited Substance list as it is considered a blood doping agent, which increases haemoglobin and the production of red blood cells.

Halep was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou from 2022 until her suspension and the Frenchman has accepted blame for providing a contaminated supplement for her.

“We brought her collagen from a company. This collagen happened to be contaminated. There was no way to know it. But I feel responsible for what happened because it’s my team—so me, basically—who brought her this collagen,” he said in a video on his Instagram account in November.

The former world No 1 was given a four-year ban from the sport for “intentional” doping offences by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in September. The Romanian denied having “knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance” and appealed the decision.

Halep appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from Wednesday February 7 to Friday February 9 for her appeal hearing, which took place at the CAS Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

So, if there's no way to know it, why is she suing the company?

 

[NeutralFan]

So, if there's no way to know it, why is she suing the company?

It's never her fault

 

[Tshooter]

#dopapova

 

[ALCARAZWON]

Also seek damages from the surgeon whom performed her breast reduction.
Crime against humanity.

 

[NeutralFan]

Also seek damages from the surgeon whom performed her breast reduction.
Crime against humanity.

Yeah his surgeon forced her to undergo surgery lol

 

[tennis24x7]

Someone published the full doping report on here a few months ago. Apart from the PED she was busted for at the USO, they went and retested her blood and found consistent evidence of blood doping before big tournaments/Slams during the year. That’s why her appeal was not successful. I don’t think she is going to be able to revive her career or restore her name.

If this is true then she should have just walked away like Sharapova.

 

[tennis24x7]

Yeah his surgeon forced her to undergo surgery lol

Did he perform for free?

 

[Frenchy-Player]

She will surely lose the trial and that will not change anything about her ban. She should sue Mouratoglou.

 

[_phantom]

So, if there's no way to know it, why is she suing the company?

Part of a sophisticated damage control operation, for the Mouratoglou empire, orchestrated by the man himself.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

If this is true then she should have just walked away like Sharapova.

Sharapova tried to get ahead of the revelation with her lie-a-thon press conference to salvage her career before realizing her corrupt ways could not be buried. Only then, did she retire early. Halep--with her BS--is following along the same lines of hyper-defensive behavior.

 

[NeutralFan]

Did he perform for free?

Do you do your job for free?

 

[Shaolin]

I hope that company that she is suing buries her.

They'll prob settle out of court to avoid bad press.

 

[Deleted member 806402]

Also seek damages from the surgeon whom performed her breast reduction.
Crime against humanity.

that's wassup

 

[jm1980]

Someone published the full doping report on here a few months ago. Apart from the PED she was busted for at the USO, they went and retested her blood and found consistent evidence of blood doping before big tournaments/Slams during the year. That’s why her appeal was not successful. I don’t think she is going to be able to revive her career or restore her name.

Her career is done. Defensive baseliner who will be in her mid 30s before she can even play again? Not happening

The only thing she can do is try to salvage her reputation. But no one who's read the report ITIA report (which is pretty damning) will take her seriously

 

[Bartelby]

Halep is digging a deeper hole for herself.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Halep is digging a deeper hole for herself.

I hope she is getting caught proper. She can't blame Patrick or anyone. It's only her responsibility.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

Her career is done. Defensive baseliner who will be in her mid 30s before she can even play again? Not happening

The only thing she can do is try to salvage her reputation. But no one who's read the report ITIA report (which is pretty damning) will take her seriously

I hope she is getting caught proper. She can't blame Patrick or anyone. It's only her responsibility.

Like Sharapova, Halep will say anything to squirm her way out of responsibility, starting with Sharapova's "I didn't know" defense already debunked by evidence.

 

[tennis24x7]

Do you do your job for free?

A doctor can always say he cannot perform an at-will cosmetic surgery. Her life was not in danger because of her bountiful asset. In our jobs if we say no, we get shown the door.

 

[NeutralFan]

A doctor can always say he cannot perform an at-will cosmetic surgery. Her life was not in danger because of her bountiful asset. In our jobs if we say no, we get shown the door.

Why would a plastic surgeon refuse his services and go unemployed? Nobody forced Simona to go to the doc! It's entirely on her.

 

[Arak]

A doctor can always say he cannot perform an at-will cosmetic surgery. Her life was not in danger because of her bountiful asset. In our jobs if we say no, we get shown the door.

That’s why it’s called cosmetic surgery. Women enlarge their breasts all the time, and for no other reason than looking more attractive. In her case, she had a rather legitimate reason, as it’s difficult to play tennis with large breasts. I think Anisimova should be next.

 

[a10best]

I'd do the same if I were positive I did not intentionally consume an illegal substance.

 

[Robert F]

https://www.qnihealth.com/products/keto-mct-300g This is a link to the Keto MCT. No discussion of collagen here. But I wouldn't doubt if she took both. Might be a good way for athletes to proetect themselves from blame by taking a bunch of supplements so you can claim "I'm like on 12 supplements, one of them must be contaminated." Hmmm, maybe one of the few valid reasons to take supplement--to cover your butt if you test positive.

Much harder to say you ate a contaminated apple if you ate a healthy performance oriented diet.

I'm trying to understand why a tennis athlete would take Keto MCT. With the amount of activity she is doing, she'd want to stay away from ketosis and should be using carbs for high quality performance. Not junk carbs, but some carbs. Collagen remains questionable in benefit from just regular protein. So I'm a little shocked that a professional athlete and her nutrition team is also pulled by popular nutrition trends from social media and the internet as opposed to following current science.

I wonder if Halep knows she won't be able to overturn anything, but by having a giant publicity campaign that she is innocent allows her to say she pursued this to as far as she could to get justice and the system failed her. Those that love her will believe her over the reports since the media is much more vocal about what she does than what WADA does in a committee. It's like taking a page from Trump's play of books and just control the narrative.

 

[Robert F]

How do you feel about therapeutic use exemptions (TUE)?

"Documents published on the Fancy Bear website appeared to show that Serena Williams had taken the restricted drugs prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone, hydromorphone and oxycodone between 2010 and 2015, while her sister Venus had taken prednisone, prednisolone, triamcinolone and formoterol. Biles, meanwhile, was given methylphenidate for attention-deficit disorder. In all cases, however, Wada confirmed that the athletes had committed no offence because they had been granted therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) by the relevant international sports federations and national anti-doping organisations."
-- The Guardian

Interesting that all of the substances above are not performance enhancing and actually might impair performance except for the methylphendiate.

Prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone are corticosteroids not anabolic steroids. They promote weight gain but fat, not muscle. They are very antiinflammatory so might be helpful in reducing joint pain so you can continue to train while being injured, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone use them when not injured to reduce inflammation so they could train more often or more intensely. My guess is most people on these would actually perform worse on them. I guess also under high stress situations, the body might be able to utilize glucose easier for energy (cortisone stress response). But these seem fairly legit if you have an autoimmune disorder, chronic joit issue or breathing issues.

Methylphenidate certainly can help with focus, so to see how performance enhancing would depend on the dose and how severe one's ADHD was. Someone with severe ADHD on a stimulant is unlikey to have super-human focus, just good focus. It would be similar to not allowing near sighted people to wear contact lenses in sports.

 

[yonexRx32]

Interesting that all of the substances above are not performance enhancing and actually might impair performance except for the methylphendiate.

Prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone are corticosteroids not anabolic steroids. They promote weight gain but fat, not muscle. They are very antiinflammatory so might be helpful in reducing joint pain so you can continue to train while being injured, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone use them when not injured to reduce inflammation so they could train more often or more intensely. My guess is most people on these would actually perform worse on them. I guess also under high stress situations, the body might be able to utilize glucose easier for energy (cortisone stress response). But these seem fairly legit if you have an autoimmune disorder, chronic joit issue or breathing issues.

Methylphenidate certainly can help with focus, so to see how performance enhancing would depend on the dose and how severe one's ADHD was. Someone with severe ADHD on a stimulant is unlikey to have super-human focus, just good focus. It would be similar to not allowing near sighted people to wear contact lenses in sports.

And that's why they are all restricted by WADA : they're ineffective.