Russian teen, 14, handed ban after testing positive for Meldonium

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A 14-year-old Russian girl has been banned for nine months after testing positive for Meldonium in her second pro tournament, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced.

Because of the player's age, the ITIA declined to reveal the name of the player. 

After being selected for a random anti-doping test, the unnamed player tested positive for Meldonium, a metabolic modulator.

"The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that a Russian tennis player has been banned from the sport for nine months after admitting a breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) rules. Due to the player’s age, they are not being named. The player was 14 years old and playing in only their second senior ITF tournament in January 2022 when they were selected for a random anti-doping test. The sample was sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory, which detected the presence of Meldonium in their A sample, later confirmed in the B sample. Meldonium is a metabolic modulator, prohibited under section S4 of the WADA Prohibited List," the ITIA statement read. 

The player will be allowed to return at the start of 2023

The player's sanction is set to run through December 4, which means the 14-year-old will be able to start the 2023 season in time. 

"Due to the player’s age, level and lack of access to Anti-Doping education, the sanction was set at nine months, backdated to the date of the player’s Provisional Suspension (5 March 2022). This means that the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any tennis events authorised, organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport until 4 December 2022," the statement further read.

This is not the first case of a ban handed because of Meldonium. 

In 2016, Maria Sharapova was handed a two-year ban after testing positive for Meldonium.

At the time, Sharapova said she was taking Meldonium for 10 years because of a magnesium deficiency and family history of diabetes.

Later, her suspension was reduced to 15 months.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/RYz0nMy

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