Nike, other sponsors cut ties with Maria Sharapova after failed drug test

[Paladin]

"Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova, the highest-paid woman in sports, said on Monday that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open due to a substance she has been taking for 10 years for health issues.

The 28-year-old Sharapova, a five-time grand slam champion, will be provisionally suspended starting March 12, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.

[graph]

She tested positive for meldonium, which is used to treat diabetes and low magnesium, and was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as of Jan. 1.

"I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down and I let the sport down," said Sharapova, a teenage tennis prodigy who became the third-youngest Wimbledon champion. "I take full responsibility for it."

"I know that with this I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way. I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game," former world No.1 Sharapova told a news conference in a downtown Los Angeles hotel.

...

Sharapova said her family doctor had been giving her mildronate, which is also called meldonium, for 10 years after she frequently became sick, had irregular EKG results, a magnesium deficiency and a family history of diabetes.

"It is very important for you to understand that for 10 years this medicine was not on WADA's banned list and I had been legally taking the medicine. But on January the first, the rules have changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance."

The World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, declined to comment until ITF issues a final decision."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/sharapova-faces-suspension-for-failed-drug-test/ar-BBqrPE8?ocid=spartandhp

There is a very interesting graph in the story which shows Sharapova is the highest earner in women's sports with No 2 being Serena Williams. Given their respective achievements on the tennis court, I find that curious.

[ABX]

How is  meldonium a performance enhancer?

[A-Lert]

There is a very interesting graph in the story which shows Sharapova is the highest earner in women's sports with No 2 being Serena Williams. Given their respective achievements on the tennis court, I find that curious.

I can think of two reasons. Sharapova is more of an international celebrity and has celebrity "looks".

[flowers]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/03/08/sponsors-suspend-ties-with-sharapova-after-failed-drug-test.html?intcmp=hplnws

Three of Maria Sharapova's major sponsors are cutting ties with the Russian tennis star after she acknowledged failing a doping test at the Australian Open.

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Sportswear giant Nike, Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer and German luxury car company Porsche moved quickly to distance themselves from the five-time Grand Slam winner after she announced the positive test at a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday.

"We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova," Nike said in a statement. "We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation."

TAG Heuer said its deal with Sharapova will not be renewed. The sponsorship expired at the end of 2015 and discussions had been taking place on how to extend it.

"In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations, and has decided not to renew the contract with Ms Sharapova," TAG Heuer said in a statement.

[A-Lert]

Don't fret Maria, I won't cut ties with you. ( Are you really worth $200,000,000.00?)

[sinkspur]

This is crazy.  She was taking a medication for her heart and has been taking it for ten years.  On January 1, the drug went on a banned list, she was sent an email about it and didn't click on the email. 

For TAG and Nike to cut ties this quickly over what amounts to an honest mistake, especially after the butt-kissing they did to Kobe Bryant when he was accused of rape some years ago, is the height of hypocrisy.

[flowers]

This is crazy.  She was taking a medication for her heart and has been taking it for ten years.  On January 1, the drug went on a banned list, she was sent an email about it and didn't click on the email. 

For TAG and Nike to cut ties this quickly over what amounts to an honest mistake, especially after the butt-kissing they did to Kobe Bryant when he was accused of rape some years ago, is the height of hypocrisy.

I agree.

[truth_seeker]

Now on top of all the others areas of expertise, certain Briefers are medical doctors and pharmacists, world class sport experts, etc..

The frigging drug is an enhancement performance drug. She resides in the US. The drug is NOT approved to be distributed in the US.

She cheated and got caught. Like the Texas bad boy bike racer. Lance Armstrong.

[sinkspur]

Now on top of all the others areas of expertise, certain Briefers are medical doctors and pharmacists, world class sport experts, etc..

The frigging drug is an enhancement performance drug. She resides in the US. The drug is NOT approved to be distributed in the US.

She cheated and got caught. Like the Texas bad boy bike racer. Lance Armstrong.

She did not cheat. The woman has been taking this drug, approved by a doctor, for ten years. The Tennis Association to which professional tennis players belong did not ban the drug before January of this year.  It was NOT recognized as a performance enhancement drug prior to then. An analogy would be Lipitor being declared a performance enhancing drug, all of a sudden.

She made a mistake by not opening the email.  She will not be penalized, most likely, will continue to win and Nike and TAG will look stupid.

[mountaineer]

This is crazy.  She was taking a medication for her heart and has been taking it for ten years.  On January 1, the drug went on a banned list, she was sent an email about it and didn't click on the email. 

For TAG and Nike to cut ties this quickly over what amounts to an honest mistake, especially after the butt-kissing they did to Kobe Bryant when he was accused of rape some years ago, is the height of hypocrisy.

I also agree. Nike has stuck with the 'roided up Tiger Woods all these years, too.

[Wingnut]

Like the Texas bad boy bike racer. Lance Armstrong.

Full disclosure here.

I have just as many Tour de France wins as Lance, and twice as many testicles.

As far as Maria,  I don't know why the sponsors are so quick to cut ties with endorsees before all the facts are in. 

[flowers]

I was surprised to see she was still playing. Also very surprised they dropped her like a rock. I haven't been watching tennis in the past few years.

[flowers]

Sharapova Banned Provisionally From Tennis After Revealing Falling Drugs Test

http://sacredheartspectrum.com/2016/03/sharapova-banned-provisionally-from-tennis-after-revealing/

Russian officials on Tuesday threw their backing behind tennis star Maria Sharapova after she failed a drug test at the Australian Open. "I let my fans down and I let the sport down", said Sharapova, a teenage tennis prodigy who became the third-youngest Wimbledon champion.

"I don't want to end my career this way and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game", Sharapova said in a somber tone.

Earlier, Sharapova admitted that she made a "huge mistake", saying that she received a list of prohibited items from WADA for 2016, but added she did not look at the list. "That sample was analysed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory, which returned a positive for meldonium, which is a prohibited substance under the WADA Code and, therefore also the TADP". Sharapova says she has failed a drug test at the Australian Open.

Wow she is ranked 7th in the world. Very surprised they  dropped her.

[A-Lert]

I must be a racist and a pig. I watch tennis only if Maria is playing. 

[flowers]

Major tennis star and she doesn't look at the list?

[flowers]

I must be a racist and a pig. I watch tennis only if Maria is playing. 

[jmyrlefuller]

Major tennis star and she doesn't look at the list?

Most of those things are routine e-mails. It would be fairly easy to overlook a change like that, buried in a list.

I would say, given the drug was only recently added and wasn't a deliberate effort to cover it up, as long as she is willing to serve the suspension, she should be allowed to return. She's handling it about as well as one can be expected.

As for why she's being targeted, well... you need only take a look at Black Twitter yesterday. It was full of jealous haters claiming racism because Serena Williams doesn't make as much money, even though Williams is the better player.

[jmyrlefuller]

The frigging drug is an enhancement performance drug. She resides in the US. The drug is NOT approved to be distributed in the US.

There's just one problem with this: Sharapova is a Russian citizen, and the illegal doping happened in Australia. Its legal status in the United States is thus totally irrelevant.

[flowers]

Maria Sharapova was 'warned five times' by tennis authorities that meldonium had been banned in January (and Russian sports bosses say they told her too)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3483903/Maria-Sharapova-warned-five-times-tennis-authorities-meldonium-banned-January-Russian-sports-bosses-say-told-too.html

Maria Sharapova was warned at least five times by tennis authorities that the drug meldonium had been banned in the month before she failed a doping test at the Australian Open.

In addition, the Russia's athletics federation has today said it had repeatedly warned athletes and coaches not to take meldonium.

Sharapova, 28, announced on Monday that she had been caught in a doping test after taking the drug, which became a banned substance in January.

[flowers]

As for why she's being targeted, well... you need only take a look at Black Twitter yesterday. It was full of jealous haters claiming racism because Serena Williams doesn't make as much money, even though Williams is the better player.

wow....they have a black twitter? geezze.

[truth_seeker]

Full disclosure here.

I have just as many Tour de France wins as Lance, and twice as many testicles.

As far as Maria,  I don't know why the sponsors are so quick to cut ties with endorsees before all the facts are in.

Here is my take. These big corporations have in the past spent lots of money on celebrity athlete endorsements, only to see a few go very sour.

I feel they are simply trying to be more selective and discerning. Don't get burned so much.

Lance went on for years and years, lying through his teeth, and the public and companies bought it.

They simply want to stop the money outflow when a hint of a problem comes up.

Is she the "victim" of a rush to judgment? It is their money, and there are clauses covering things like this.

She had the information the drug was banned. She took the drugs. She broke the rules.

[flowers]

Here is my take. These big corporations have in the past spent lots of money on celebrity athlete endorsements, only to see a few go very sour.

I feel they are simply trying to be more selective and discerning. Don't get burned so much.

Lance went on for years and years, lying through his teeth, and the public and companies bought it.

They simply want to stop the money outflow when a hint of a problem comes up.

Is she the "victim" of a rush to judgment? It is their money, and there are clauses covering things like this.

She had the information the drug was banned. She took the drugs. She broke the rules.

yep...she broke the rules. I don't feel a bit sorry for her.

[jmyrlefuller]

wow....they have a black twitter? geezze.

It's not a separate site, just a large posse of black people on Twitter that engage in racist groupthink.

[Paladin]

Most seriously not guilty of anything. And if she needs someone to comfort her in this hour of her travail, I am available.

[Wingnut]

Most seriously not guilty of anything. And if she needs someone to comfort her in this hour of her travail, I am available.

Without "Laz" over here you have free range!