Post by tall_one on Jan 19, 2005 2:18:27 GMT
Drugs Controversy Takes Center Court
MELBOURNE, Australia - A drugs controversy embroiling Russian star Svetlana Kuznetsova overshadowed play at the Australian Open as the big guns cruised through their first-round matches.
The 19-year-old was named by regional Belgian sports minister Claude Eerdekens on Monday as testing positive for the substance ephedrine after a drugs test at an exhibition event last month.
The disclosure sparked uproar Tuesday, with WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott accusing the Belgian official of perpetrating a "tremendous injustice" against the player.
Ephedrine, a stimulant often found in common over-the-counter drug remedies, has been at the centre of several notorious drug controversies in the past but was reclassified last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
While ephedrine's use during competition remains prohibited, athletes may now avoid sanction if it is found in their system in the off-season, provided there is a valid reason for its presence, such as ingestion in a cold remedy.
Kuznetsova explained she had taken medicine for a cold during the charity event in Belgium and was not guilty of a doping offence, pointing out that she had passed at least 10 in-competition drug tests last year.
"I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations," Kuznetsova said in a statement.
"What is true is that at the time of the exhibition match in question, I did have a cold and was taking a cold medicine," Kuznetsova added.
WTA chief Scott, meanwhile, mounted a spirited defence of Kuznetsova, saying there was no chance of the player being punished.
Scott said that as far as the WTA was aware, Kuznetsova had not committed a doping offence, slamming disclosure of the test result as "disgraceful, shameful and irresponsible."
"The reports are saying ephedrine. I want to make clear that under the tennis anti-doping program, ephedrine is not a banned substance when it's out of competition," Scott told a press conference.
"What Svetlana was playing in was a two-day charity exhibition during our off-season. This was not a competition," said Scott, saying the whole sport had been tainted unnecessarily.
"The only reason I'm here is because a tremendous injustice has been done to our players and to our sport."
Drug cases in women's tennis are unheard of, although the men's game has been dogged by several controversies in recent years.
Rusedski was cleared of wrongdoing last year after failing a dope test, while in 1998 Czech Petr Korda tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
MELBOURNE, Australia - A drugs controversy embroiling Russian star Svetlana Kuznetsova overshadowed play at the Australian Open as the big guns cruised through their first-round matches.
The 19-year-old was named by regional Belgian sports minister Claude Eerdekens on Monday as testing positive for the substance ephedrine after a drugs test at an exhibition event last month.
The disclosure sparked uproar Tuesday, with WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott accusing the Belgian official of perpetrating a "tremendous injustice" against the player.
Ephedrine, a stimulant often found in common over-the-counter drug remedies, has been at the centre of several notorious drug controversies in the past but was reclassified last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
While ephedrine's use during competition remains prohibited, athletes may now avoid sanction if it is found in their system in the off-season, provided there is a valid reason for its presence, such as ingestion in a cold remedy.
Kuznetsova explained she had taken medicine for a cold during the charity event in Belgium and was not guilty of a doping offence, pointing out that she had passed at least 10 in-competition drug tests last year.
"I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations," Kuznetsova said in a statement.
"What is true is that at the time of the exhibition match in question, I did have a cold and was taking a cold medicine," Kuznetsova added.
WTA chief Scott, meanwhile, mounted a spirited defence of Kuznetsova, saying there was no chance of the player being punished.
Scott said that as far as the WTA was aware, Kuznetsova had not committed a doping offence, slamming disclosure of the test result as "disgraceful, shameful and irresponsible."
"The reports are saying ephedrine. I want to make clear that under the tennis anti-doping program, ephedrine is not a banned substance when it's out of competition," Scott told a press conference.
"What Svetlana was playing in was a two-day charity exhibition during our off-season. This was not a competition," said Scott, saying the whole sport had been tainted unnecessarily.
"The only reason I'm here is because a tremendous injustice has been done to our players and to our sport."
Drug cases in women's tennis are unheard of, although the men's game has been dogged by several controversies in recent years.
Rusedski was cleared of wrongdoing last year after failing a dope test, while in 1998 Czech Petr Korda tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
