Meldonium meltdown: Maria Sharapova’s suspension may be overturned
Five-times grand slam tennis champion could be back in the fold soon after World Anti-Doping Agency says it can’t establish how quickly the drug, outlawed since January 1, clears the system
Athletes who tested positive for meldonium before March 1 could have their bans overturned less than four months before the Rio Olympics after Wada said it was unable to establish how quickly the drug, outlawed since January 1, cleared the system.
It is difficult to know whether an athlete may have taken the substance before or after January 1, when it became illegal
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s notice to national anti-doping bodies is expected to have a major impact on many of the 120-plus athletes who have tested positive for the performance-boosting drug since January.
They include five-times grand-slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova, who was among 40 Russian athletes to test positive for the drug after it was added to Wada’s list of banned substances in January.
Wada said there was “currently a lack of clear scientific information on excretion times”.
“As a result it is difficult to know whether an athlete may have taken the substance before or after January 1, when it became illegal.
“In these circumstances, Wada considers that there may be grounds for no fault or negligence on the part of the athlete,” it said in a statement sent to anti-doping agencies and sports federations, adding that the presence of less than one microgram of meldonium in the samples was acceptable.
The anti-doping body’s notice also gave hope to athletes who have tested positive for the drug since March 1, depending on studies being carried out to determine how long it stays in the body.