More Russian athletes test positive for meldonium

[Bouncer]

According to Pavel Kulizhnikov’s coach, the Russian world champion speed skater failed to pass the doping test for meldonium. Maria Sharapova was also tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.

Since 2015, 21-year old Kulizhnikov has won 5 world championship gold medals and also holds the world-record of 500m.

Kulizhnikov’s coach, Dmitry Dorofeev didn’t make clear when the athlete was tested positive for meldonium.

He only said that Kulizhnikov had used the drug before and while it was legal, but he hasn’t used it for the last year.

The athlete had to serve a doping ban in 2012-2014 and when he was tested positive for methylhexamine.

Meldonium is enlisted as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency since January 1st.

Four more Russian athletes test positive for meldonium | LosAngle

[Bouncer]

What is meldonium and why did Maria Sharapova take it?

Maria Sharapova revealed on Monday that she had failed a drugs test at this year’s Australian Open and immediately brought meldonium to the world’s attention.

Meldonium is also known as mildronate, the name by which Sharapova knew the drug, having taken it since 2006.

But what do we know about the substance, why was the Russian taking it and why was it banned only this year?

• Meldonium is used to treat ischaemia: a lack of blood flow to parts of the body, particularly in cases of angina or heart failure.

• It is manufactured in Latvia and only distributed in Baltic countries and Russia. It is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States and is not authorised in the rest of Europe.

• It increases blood flow, which improves exercise capacity in athletes.

Wada found “evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance” by virtue of carrying more oxygen to muscle tissue.

• The decision to add meldonium to the banned list was approved on 16 September 2015, and it came into effect on 1 January 2016. Wada had spent the previous year monitoring the drug before adding it to the banned list.

• The drug was name-checked in the latest investigative documentary on Russian doping reforms by the German Hajo Seppelt on Sunday. The documentary referred to a 2015 study in which 17% of Russian athletes (724 of 4,316) tested were found to have meldonium in their system. A global study found 2.2% of athletes had it in their system.

• L’Equipe reported that the scientific advisor to the French Agency Against Doping (AFLD), Professor Xavier Bigard, said in interviews with athletes at last year’s European Games in Baku that a wide proportion of athletes admitted taking meldonium.

• It is classed as an S4 substance under the Wada code, which addresses hormone and metabolic modulators.

• The standard ban under the World Anti-Doping Code is four years.

• A memo was sent out to athletes by Russia’s anti-doping agency last September informing them of the decision to ban its use.

• Sharapova says she has been taking the drug for 10 years after she was regularly falling ill. She had a magnesium deficiency and family history of diabetes.

• Several athletes have been suspended since the turn of 2016 after testing positive for the dug. Abebe Aregawi, the 2013 women’s 1,500m world champion, has been provisionally suspended after meldonium was found in a sample she provided. Endeshaw Negesse, the 2015 Tokyo marathon champion, was also banned after reportedly testing positive for the same substance. Others include Olga Abramova and Artem Tyschcenko, two Ukrainian biathletes, Eduard Vorganov, a Russian cyclist and Ekaterina Bobrova, a Russian ice dancer.

[Mr I]

The west hates Russia, what's new

[Bouncer]

You're infatuated with all things Russian. You have this false idea in your head of what exactly it is to be Russian.

I would absolutely love to see you live in Russia for 1 year. Witness the backward ass 3rd world nation parading as a 1st world leader. Witness how little the average Russian actually has. Witness the struggle of the average Russian. Witness corruption on a scale that makes Britain and America look like angels..

You'd come back after a year with a destroyed fantasy of what exactly you think it is to be Russian..

[Bouncer]

The Original Users of Meldonium, Sharapova’s Banned Drug? Soviet Super-Soldiers | WIRED

[Bouncer]

Rafael Nadal Insists He Never Used Steroids and Thinks Dopers Like Maria Sharapova Should Be Punished

Tennis player Rafael Nadal has been accused of using anabolic steroids so many times throughout his career that it has become an almost natural reaction for him to become defensive when discussing doping even if the suspicions involve another player. When Nadal was asked about Maria Sharapova's case of meldonium doping while playing at the 2016 BNP Paribas Opens in Indian Wells, he strongly denied cheating himself.

"I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong. I am very far from that, doping," Nadal said. "I am a completely clean guy. I worked so hard during my career that when I get injured I never take nothing (banned) to be back quicker…

"I am not doing, never did, and never going to do something wrong."

Nadal went on to say that he is strongly opposed to doping and thinks athletes should be punished if they are caught. As far as Sharapova was concerned, Nadal suspects that her use of the recently-banned meldonium was an honest mistake. Nonetheless, he believes such negligence and unprofessionalism deserves to be punished.

"It is difficult to imagine that something like this can happen. But mistakes happen," Nadal said. "I want to believe it is a mistake for Maria. She didn't want to do it. But obviously it is negligence. She must pay for it."

Nadal said the negligence was due to a lack of professionalism by Sharpova's team. Nadal claimed he would never be in such a predicament because his doctor is a true professional.

Nadal is currently the 5th ranked male tennis player in the world and has been one of the most dominant forces in tennis since he turned pro in 2001. Since then, he has earned over $76 million in prize money and won 14 grand slam titles. The fact that 9 of those titles came on the clay courts of Roland Garros for the French Open championship has convinced many people that Nadal is the greatest clay-court player of all time.

With his success, there have many rumors and suspicions of steroid use. The fact that Nadal's muscularity appeared to be greater than his opponents has also fueled the rumors. In spite of the many whispers, only a few fellow tennis players have dared to publicly suggest that Nadal was “on roids”.

The steroid accusers have notably included former pro tennis players Daniel Koellerer and Christopher Roche. Both have claimed that steroids were the most likely explanation for Nadal's uncanny ability to recover from injury and return to top form in such a short period of time.

Austrian tennis player Koellerer received a lifetime suspension from tennis after he was found guilty of match-fixing. The main evidence against him was provided by known steroid user Wayne Odesnik. So Koellerer was particularly bitter against those he felt were on steroids. He made his case against Nadal in a 2013 interview with the Austrian sports site Sportwoche.

“Let’s take Nadal. It’s not possible that he tests negative. After 7 months out of the courts due to injury, he came back and won 10 out of 13 tournaments,” Koellerer said. “That is impossible. Impossible! It tells you everything. That combined with the rumours of fake injuries to cover up silent bans. Look, nobody believes in that story that he didn’t take anything! Imagine what it would mean for tennis if it broke the news that he tested positive.”

Roche used the same logic to make PED accusations against Nadal in a 2010 interview with LaLibre newspaper.

"When one can afford good doctors to do personal research, it is possible to take undetectable drugs. So in my opinion, anti-doping controls are useless and they really don't prove anything. Regarding Nadal, those rumors are rumors even if everyone has the same question: How can you be so strong in Roland Garros and one month later, you are apparently unable to play? That's why it looks so suspicious, but we have no proof. Maybe he really is injured," Rochus said.

Nadal has heard it all. And he is tired of the baseless accusations. In his recent interview this month, he reiterated his support for the “values of the sport” and fancied himself as “an ambassador for tennis” and a role model for children.

"I heard it a few times again about doping from my person and I am a little bit tired with that," Nadal said. "I believe in the sport and the values of the sport. The sport is an example for society. It is an example for the kids and if I am doing something that goes against that, I will be lying to myself, not lying to my opponents."

[Mr I]

You're infatuated with all things Russian. You have this false idea in your head of what exactly it is to be Russian.

I would absolutely love to see you live in Russia for 1 year. Witness the backward ass 3rd world nation parading as a 1st world leader. Witness how little the average Russian actually has. Witness the struggle of the average Russian. Witness corruption on a scale that makes Britain and America look like angels..

You'd come back after a year with a destroyed fantasy of what exactly you think it is to be Russian..

I assume you have lived there to justify the credibility of your above statement

[Mr I]

Rafael Nadal Insists He Never Used Steroids and Thinks Dopers Like Maria Sharapova Should Be Punished

Tennis player Rafael Nadal has been accused of using anabolic steroids so many times throughout his career that it has become an almost natural reaction for him to become defensive when discussing doping even if the suspicions involve another player. When Nadal was asked about Maria Sharapova's case of meldonium doping while playing at the 2016 BNP Paribas Opens in Indian Wells, he strongly denied cheating himself.

"I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong. I am very far from that, doping," Nadal said. "I am a completely clean guy. I worked so hard during my career that when I get injured I never take nothing (banned) to be back quicker…

"I am not doing, never did, and never going to do something wrong."

Nadal went on to say that he is strongly opposed to doping and thinks athletes should be punished if they are caught. As far as Sharapova was concerned, Nadal suspects that her use of the recently-banned meldonium was an honest mistake. Nonetheless, he believes such negligence and unprofessionalism deserves to be punished.

"It is difficult to imagine that something like this can happen. But mistakes happen," Nadal said. "I want to believe it is a mistake for Maria. She didn't want to do it. But obviously it is negligence. She must pay for it."

Nadal said the negligence was due to a lack of professionalism by Sharpova's team. Nadal claimed he would never be in such a predicament because his doctor is a true professional.

Nadal is currently the 5th ranked male tennis player in the world and has been one of the most dominant forces in tennis since he turned pro in 2001. Since then, he has earned over $76 million in prize money and won 14 grand slam titles. The fact that 9 of those titles came on the clay courts of Roland Garros for the French Open championship has convinced many people that Nadal is the greatest clay-court player of all time.

With his success, there have many rumors and suspicions of steroid use. The fact that Nadal's muscularity appeared to be greater than his opponents has also fueled the rumors. In spite of the many whispers, only a few fellow tennis players have dared to publicly suggest that Nadal was “on roids”.

The steroid accusers have notably included former pro tennis players Daniel Koellerer and Christopher Roche. Both have claimed that steroids were the most likely explanation for Nadal's uncanny ability to recover from injury and return to top form in such a short period of time.

Austrian tennis player Koellerer received a lifetime suspension from tennis after he was found guilty of match-fixing. The main evidence against him was provided by known steroid user Wayne Odesnik. So Koellerer was particularly bitter against those he felt were on steroids. He made his case against Nadal in a 2013 interview with the Austrian sports site Sportwoche.

“Let’s take Nadal. It’s not possible that he tests negative. After 7 months out of the courts due to injury, he came back and won 10 out of 13 tournaments,” Koellerer said. “That is impossible. Impossible! It tells you everything. That combined with the rumours of fake injuries to cover up silent bans. Look, nobody believes in that story that he didn’t take anything! Imagine what it would mean for tennis if it broke the news that he tested positive.”

Roche used the same logic to make PED accusations against Nadal in a 2010 interview with LaLibre newspaper.

"When one can afford good doctors to do personal research, it is possible to take undetectable drugs. So in my opinion, anti-doping controls are useless and they really don't prove anything. Regarding Nadal, those rumors are rumors even if everyone has the same question: How can you be so strong in Roland Garros and one month later, you are apparently unable to play? That's why it looks so suspicious, but we have no proof. Maybe he really is injured," Rochus said.

Nadal has heard it all. And he is tired of the baseless accusations. In his recent interview this month, he reiterated his support for the “values of the sport” and fancied himself as “an ambassador for tennis” and a role model for children.

"I heard it a few times again about doping from my person and I am a little bit tired with that," Nadal said. "I believe in the sport and the values of the sport. The sport is an example for society. It is an example for the kids and if I am doing something that goes against that, I will be lying to myself, not lying to my opponents."

If I had to guess he's the one guy I'd have picked as a juicer lol

[jack tors]

The drug is lame anyway increase blood flow I guess

[Bouncer]

The drug is lame anyway increase blood flow I guess

Increased blood flow means more oxygen to the muscles etc.. It's definitely an advantage.

[jack tors]

Increased blood flow means more oxygen to the muscles etc.. It's definitely an advantage.

I'm just saying it's not ped like test or dbol. It didn't make her great she just is...

[Bouncer]

It made her greater. :D

[Bouncer]

The meldonium doping scandal has spread to the top-ranked Russian wrestling team.

At least two wrestlers are among the dozens of athletes who failed the anti-doping test for meldonium (mildronate) since the beginning of the year. Mikhail Mamiashvili, the president of the Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF), identified two of the team's top athletes as victims of the targeted testing.

“As of today, I have information about positive doping tests of two wrestlers – (Evgeny) Saleev and (Sergei) Semenov," Mamiashvili said in an interview with TASS. "As for the dozens of athletes I mentioned before, I implied earlier voiced facts about the speed skating, figure skating, swimming and other sports.”

Saleev was the silver medal winner in the 80-kilogram weight class of men's Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships in Tashkent, Uzebekistan. Semenov was the silver medal winner in the 130-kilogram weight class at the 2015 Greco-Roman World Cup in Tehran, Iran.

Mamiashvili referenced earlier reports that seemed to suggest he said “tens” of Russian wrestlers had failed the drug test. Instead, he meant to refer to the numerous Russian athletes from various sporting disciplines that were affected by adverse analytical findings for meldonium.

Nonetheless, the meldonium scandal is still a significant setback for Russian wrestling. The national team is highly-regarded around the world. It was the top wrestling country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and also won seven gold medals at the 2016 European Wrestling Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Russian athletes have account for at least 18 of the meldonium positives recently announced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since the beginning of the year. WADA revealed that it uncovered meldonium in the urinalyses of a total of 110 athletes since meldonium became illegal on January 1, 2016.

Russia was not the only former Soviet republic to be afflicted by the meldonium scandal. Nenad Lalovic, the president of the United World Wrestling (UWW), told the Russian news agency TASS that wrestlers from seven former Soviet republics tested positive for meldonium.

"Cases of positive doping tests for meldonium have been registered as of today in seven countries in the post-Soviet space," Lalovic said. "This is the first time we [UWW] come across such enormous amount of positive doping samples."

The country of Georgia had six meldonium positives among its national wrestling team. The most notable athlete affected was Davit Modzmanashvili, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the men's freestyle 120-kilogram category.

WADA has the names of 110 total athletes who tested positive for meldonium. But WADA is apparently only releasing a few names every day to maximize the world-wide news coverage it can generate for its cause.

[Bouncer]

The Times (United Kingdom) has accused the Russian swimming program of systematic doping based on its own internal investigation into the matter. The Times claimed its investigations have “uncovered an alarming picture of systematic drug use” in Russian swimming during the past decade.

Specifically, The Times has accused Dr. Sergei Portugalov, the chief of the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) medical commission, of implementing a doping program for Russian swimmers. The disgraced doctor was identified as the mastermind behind the Russian athletics doping program in a previously published joint investigation by The Times and German broadcaster ARD/WDR.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) promised to investigate the evidence uncovered by The Times.

“The World Anti-Doping Agency is aware of the claims that appeared in today’s The Times newspaper that suggested 'systematic drug use' in Russian swimming… We are concerned by the allegations that Mr Sergei Portugalov – who is currently facing a lifetime ban from working in athletics due to the commission’s findings – may be working in swimming,” WADA said in a statement. “It should be noted that, under the world anti-doping code, such a lifetime sanction should also be recognized by all other international sport federations.”

The Times' attacks on Russian sports represents a continuation in its suspiciously partisan efforts to target foreign sports superpowers for evidence of doping. Over the past couple of years, The Times has gone after a few limited countries in an effort to characterize them as rogue nations involved in systematic doping. It has devoted most its resources to exposing doping in Russia and Kenya.

Given that the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is considered rampant in elite sports in spite of the tens of millions of dollars spent on anti-doping testing, it should come as no surprise that the harder someone looks for evidence of doping in whatever sport or whichever country, the more likely they are to find it.

Since The Times has largely avoided putting its home country under the microscope, the newspaper has bee accused of politicizing doping with its aggressive attempts to get Russian and Kenya banned from competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Russia and Kenya have some of the top athletes in the world in various sports disciplines. Any scandal that can thwart their participation in the Olympics will obviously greatly benefit athletes from other countries.

The embattled Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has flatly rejected the accusations as false.

"All statements must be made on behalf of the International Swimming Federation," Mutko said in an interview with the Russian news agency TASS. "The Times is not a regulating sports body and only states its own opinion. Today, we may encounter the case of false accusations in regard to [Russian] swimming."

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) promised to examine the allegations put forth by The Times. However, it noted that it had no evidence of such systematic doping violations.

"Any new allegations of doping in our sport, which are substantiated by evidence and which have not already been addressed, will be investigated as a matter of utmost urgency, because we have absolutely zero tolerance for the use of performance-enhancing substances in swimming.

"However, it should be noted that while FINA is not aware of any concrete evidence of systemic doping in Russian swimming, we have taken a particularly robust approach to our anti-doping procedures in relation to Russia and Russian competitions, in light of WADA’s recent investigation.”

The continued pressure by The Times makes the likelihood of Russian athletes competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics to be very unlikely. Rather than this being a victory for “clean athletes”, it causes serious harm to a sports event that is supposed to feature the best and most talented athletes in the world.

[Bouncer]

Russia's Under-18 Hockey Team Busted for Widespread Use of Recently Banned Drug Called Meldonium

The meldonium doping scandal is far from over in Russia. The latest Russian athletes to fall victim to the recent change in the World Anti-Doping Code are the members of the Under-18 hockey team. The entire 30-member U-18 hockey team was pulled out of the recent world championships after more than half of them tested positive for meldonium in the anti-doping controls.

Russia will send the Under-17 hockey team (as replacements for the U-18 squad) to the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men's World Championships hosted in Grand Fork, North Dakota from April 14 to April 24, 2016.

The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) admitted that the players who tested positive for meldonium were guilty of using the drug. However, RIHF officials maintained that team doctors prescribed the drug for therapeutic reasons under careful supervision.

"The Russian Ice Hockey Federation has made the decision, in conjunction with the Sports Ministry to change the roster of the U-18 side in order to protect their rights," the RIHF said in a statement… As prescribed by the doctors, players of the Viktor Tikhonov center used the Mildronate drug (meldonium) so as to protect the heart muscle in periods of high exertion. Supplies of the drug were carried out officially in accordance with the Federal Medical-Biology agency.”

While the RIHF did not deny rampant use of meldonium, it insisted that all of the players on U-18 hockey squad had discontinued using the PED as soon as the new WADA Code prohibiting its use went into effect on January 1, 2016.

"After Mildronate was included in the banned drugs category by the (World) Anti-Doping agency in autumn of 2015, the players stopped using this drug… It is impossible to know the degree of guilt from a sportsman without knowing accurately how quickly the substance can be removed from one's body, while additional tests need to be carried out to learn about the effects the drug has on one's body," the RIHF statement said.

There is very little scientific data to shed light on how long it takes for meldonium to be fully metabolized and excreted from the human body. How long does meldonium remain detectable in anti-doping controls once its use has been discontinued by the athlete? Two or three days? A couple of weeks? Months?

The uncertainty over meldonium detection after discontinuation appears to be the most promising defense for any athlete who tested positive for meldonium in the first couple of months of 2016. This could be a viable defense for many athletes ensnared in WADA's meldonium dragnet.

Unfortunately, not every athlete will be able to use this defense. Maria Sharapova and her public relations team decided to use ignorance as its defense strategy. Sharapova apparently continued using meldonium well after it was banned for the simple reason that she had no idea it arbitrarily became a prohibited drug at the turn of the year.

The meldonium doping scandal has disproportionately affected elite athletes in Russia more than anyone else. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told the Interfax news agency that as many as 30 percent of Russia's sports team had used meldonium in the past. The U-18 hockey squad withdrawal follows similar withdrawals by the Russian men's curling team from the 2016 Curling World Championships in Basel, Switzerland and the Russian national men's volleyball team's withdrawal from the 2016 Euro Cup.

Given the targeting of Russian athletes, some people feel that WADA is politicizing the issue in order to keep Russia out of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The Russian athletics team was banned from the Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) last year after an independent WADA commission found Russia guilty of operating a systematic state-sponsored doping program.