This strikes a personal chord with me. Ivan and I raced a few times this year, he also trained out of Clermont this winter and I bumped into him nearly everyday at the Gym/Pool. Tested positive for Meldonium at St A’s and then again out of competition.
I understand USADA/Wada on this, but why couldn’t they implement a policy whereby everyone taking Meldonium had to disclose that at the end of the year and the go in for testing. If tested positive for the substance and didn’t disclose then too bad. A little frustrated with this one:
I’m extremely surprised that enough Meldonium was still in his system 7 months after his last usage; either I’m ignorant of how long drugs stay in one’s system or he was using the banned substance after the official ban date.
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I’m extremely surprised that enough Meldonium was still in his system 7 months after his last usage; either I’m ignorant of how long drugs stay in one’s system or he was using the banned substance after the official ban date.
I haven’t done enough research to know how long it can stick around but I do know it sticks around. I just wish the governing bodies would have gotten their act together, communicated it better, and forced all those using it prior to dec 31 state that and go in and get tested so we could have a better idea of how long it sticks around
At this rate, when is someone going to get busted for Meldonium and actually get busted. Q3?, Q4?, 2017?, 2018?
I haven’t done enough research to know how long it can stick around but I do know it sticks around.
My understanding is that noone really knows how long after taking Meldonium that you might still test positive; the research just hasn’t been done and that’s why the CAS let the initial busts off the hook and why they still aren’t enforcing bans now.
I’m sure Wada are monitoring this in their test results, but without knowing subject-dosings etc, any results they produce are going to be anecdotal at best. It’s well documented that certain Wada-prohibited drugs can stay in your system for >12 months (again likely to be highly dose-dependent etc) so unless someone comes up with some comprehensive research data that shows clearance times, then any ban is still likely to be challenged at the CAS.
This whole Meldonium thing is a mess.
I’m not sure how it should have been treated any differently than any other item added to the banned list.
Once it became banned, a positive test should have the normal sanctions. There was about 15 months notice as I understand it before it was banned.
The way this case was handled, people could continue to use it and say something like “I stopped using it in December and it’s still in my system”
Maybe this will get WADA to do something like a TUE or declaration of use when a substance is added to the list. If you don’t make this declaration the day before that item hits the list; then you get full sanctions.
I’d bet Sharapova is pretty pissed that she got a two year sanction and everyone else is getting a pass.
I don’t know how much meldonium affects performance but it smacks of WADA politics. It’s made in Latvia, it isn’t new, and it is only prescribed in Russia and former Soviet states. If you wanted to go after those athletes, it’d be a great thing to add to the banned list.
Yes I know athletes have to be responsible for checking the banned list every year. I’m not advocating doping. It just seems like this particular drug was cherry picked to add to the banned list based on who used it.
I’m extremely surprised that enough Meldonium was still in his system 7 months after his last usage; either I’m ignorant of how long drugs stay in one’s system or he was using the banned substance after the official ban date.
The ban began Jan 1 but the announcement of the forthcoming ban was made in September so anyone who was not a deliberate cheater, should have stopped then.
I don’t know how much meldonium affects performance but it smacks of WADA politics. It’s made in Latvia, it isn’t new, and it is only prescribed in Russia and former Soviet states. If you wanted to go after those athletes, it’d be a great thing to add to the banned list.
Yes I know athletes have to be responsible for checking the banned list every year. I’m not advocating doping. It just seems like this particular drug was cherry picked to add to the banned list based on who used it.
It actually doesn’t strike me as WADA politics as much as WADA reacting to the problems in Russia. I’d be curious as to why Meldonium is used only in those countries and why a triathlete was using it in the first place.
I was in Russia in '98 training and living with the Modern Pentathlon athletes. They all took a small pill with breakfast every morning, when I asked them what it was they just said it was good for their hearts, very matter of factly. I took a picture of the pill(I remember it being small and white) and showed it to pharmacist here in the states and they could not identify it, good bet it was Meldonium. These guys were Olympic medalists and World Champions. I don’t think they thought of it as doping more as a vitamin tablet, didn’t care if I took the picture.
I was in Russia in '98 training and living with the Modern Pentathlon athletes. They all took a small pill with breakfast every morning, when I asked them what it was they just said it was good for their hearts, very matter of factly. I took a picture of the pill(I remember it being small and white) and showed it to pharmacist here in the states and they could not identify it, good bet it was Meldonium. These guys were Olympic medalists and World Champions. I don’t think they thought of it as doping more as a vitamin tablet, didn’t care if I took the picture.
I am sure it was meldonium. Meldonium helps to protect your heart. We all (kids who did sports in Soviet Union) took it like a vitamins. Well almost all.
Why would someone take Meldonium in the first place?
Helps with recovery. Lots of russian athletes both pro and amateurs used it for years.
You can buy it OTC in any pharmacy in Russia.
perhaps with russians it gets a legitimate TUE? consider their vodka drinking habits…
“meldonium given in acute doses could be beneficial for the treatment of seizures and alcohol intoxication. It may also have some effect on decreasing the severity of withdrawal symptoms caused by the cessation of chronic alcohol use.”