|
DOPING Ban For Top Ranked Brit
Dan Evans has been banned from tennis for a year by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after testing positive for cocaine earlier this year. The former British No. 2 was found to have committed a doping offence after a urine sample provided on Apr. 24 at the Barcelona Open showed evidence of the drug. Evans's ineligibility for competition has been backdated to the date of his sample and will therefore end after Apr. 23 of 2018. "[Evans's urine] sample was sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency ("WADA") accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada for analysis, and was found to contain cocaine and its metabolite," read the ITF's statement announcing the ban. "Cocaine is a Non-Specified substance prohibited under category S6 of the 2017 WADA Prohibited List (stimulants), and therefore is also prohibited under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. "On Jun. 16 2017, Mr. Evans was charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player's Sample), and was Provisionally Suspended with effect from 26 June 2017. "Mr. Evans promptly admitted his violation. The ITF accepted Mr. Evans' account of how the cocaine got into his system and that he bears No Significant Fault or Negligence for the violation. "This is Mr. Evans' first anti-doping rule violation. The decision determines that (1) Mr. Evans has committed a violation of the Programme; (2) Mr. Evans must serve a period of ineligibility of one year; and (3) that period of ineligibility is back-dated under Article 10.10.3(b) of the Programme to start on 24 April 2017 (the date of sample collection) and so ending at midnight on 23 April 2018. In accordance with Programme articles 9.1 and 10.8, the points and prize money obtained by Mr. Evans at the Barcelona event and in subsequent competitions are disqualified."
I don't believe a player should be banned for using cocaine. Cocaine is not a Performance Enhancement Drug. Players should simply be advised not to do these drugs, just like we would advise anyone. Last edited by Ace2Ace on Oct Tue 03, 2017 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Stimulants commonly abused in athletic competition include amphetamines, cocaine, and caffeine. Controlled studies of the stimulants in athletic performance have yielded primarily positive results, particularly with amphetamine.[15,19,20] The primary rationale for the use of these agents is to reduce fatigue during endurance events and training sessions. Stimulants are also used in lower doses (eg, amphetamine 5-15 mg) to improve concentration and in higher doses (eg, amphetamine 80-150 mg) to increase aggression.[21] Athletes such as wrestlers and jockeys have also used these agents as appetite suppressants to control weight. While the performance-enhancement characteristics of cocaine are likely identical to those of amphetamines, cocaine is principally used in athletics as a recreational drug due to its extremely short duration of action. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/408596_5
Evans' explanation is just as sketchy. _______________ The International Tennis Federation accepted on Tuesday that "inadvertent contamination" was responsible for the British player's positive test at the Barcelona Open in April. Evans explained to an ITF panel he had used a small amount of cocaine when not competing four days before the test. He then put the drug in a small travel bag where he also kept an approved medication he took during the Barcelona tournament. The ITF accepted that Evans' fingers or medication became contaminated by cocaine residue.
On Tuesday, British player Dan Evans was slapped with a one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine, which he claimed he had taken out of competition four days before the test. He will also forfeit his $121,000 prize money and ranking points he earned from late-April of 2017 through June of 2017. Do you agree with the penalty? THREE REASONS THE PENALTY FITS THE OFFENSE ~ He broke the rules and deserves his suspension. ~ He only has himself to blame as he knew better than to take the substance. ~ The use of illegal drugs should not be tolerated. THREE REASONS THE PENALTY DOES NOT FIT THE OFFENSE ~ He's a first-time offender. ~It was inadvertent contamination" as he had taken the cocaine for recreational purposes while out of competition. ~ The amount used was small. OUR EXPERTS WEIGH IN NINA PANTIC: Yes He was at the best point in his career when a stupid move put it all at risk. The amount of the drug consumed and the time it was taken doesn't indicate a performance-enhancing motive. He may need to go to rehab, or at least counseling, but one year off of the tour is more than enough. ED MCGROGAN: Yes I would have been OK with Evans receiving a longer sentence—any time sport can come down against illegal drugs, it should. But a year ban, plus the $121,000 in prize money that Evans will have to forfeit, should send him and others the message that this activity isn't tolerated.. STEVE FLINK: Yes The punishment for Dan Evans might seem harsh at first glance, but after reading the report I believe the right decision was made and the correct signals have been sent to players of the future. Evans made a bad judgement and now he must serve a severe yet appropriate penalty for not adhering to the highest standards of professional conduct. ASHLEY NDEBELE: Yes Hopefully this will serve as a wakeup call for Evans. Even if it was "inadvertent contamination," he should've known better than to use cocaine. This is a good message to send to Evans and fellow players that the book will be thrown at them should they take any banned stimulants, performance-enhancing or not. STEVE TIGNOR: Yes A one-year ban is the lightest sentence Evans could have received, but I think it's fair. He owned up to using cocaine, and the ITF accepted that he took it out of competition, where it's not banned. Most important, there should be a distinction between using recreational and performance-enhancing drugs. A year out will be a significant setback, and hopefully put him on a better track. Last edited by Grossefavourite on Oct Wed 04, 2017 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total. |