Sharapova announces failed drug test

Djoko's paying for it....don't worry.
It's going to be interesting to see him play today.

Despite all, I feel sorry for him and hope he digs himself out.

Veejay wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:If we go by your "prove it" logic, then we have nothing to worry about - twnnis is a clean sport with only a nandful players caught and punished.

tenez is saying that nadal is a clear doper,which he cant prove as a fact but is trumpeting it as fact
but yet sharapova who has failed a drug test,has been found guilty of it and is serving a ban because of it, is not a fact of violating doping offences and therefore not classified as trying to cheat 

That's the lack of logic from Tenez on this.  Yes.  It's a grand canyon.

As for the "prove it logic"... it's what our entire justice system is based on.  It stops witch hunts and false accusations.  The whole point of making an accusation is that you can prove it.  And stating things as a fact with no evidence is wrong.

I could go around spreading a lie about anyone that they are this and that - which is why there are laws in place to stop false accusations. There is a reason trials exist. I can't even believe I'm hearing this nonsense.

Daniel wrote:

Veejay wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:If we go by your "prove it" logic, then we have nothing to worry about - twnnis is a clean sport with only a nandful players caught and punished.

tenez is saying that nadal is a clear doper,which he cant prove as a fact but is trumpeting it as fact
but yet sharapova who has failed a drug test,has been found guilty of it and is serving a ban because of it, is not a fact of violating doping offences and therefore not classified as trying to cheat 

That's the lack of logic from Tenez on this.  Yes.  It's a grand canyon.

As for the "prove it logic"... it's what our entire justice system is based on.  It stops witch hunts and false accusations.  The whole point of making an accusation is that you can prove it.  And stating things as a fact with no evidence is wrong.

I could go around spreading a lie about anyone that they are this and that - which is why there are laws in place to stop false accusations. There is a reason trials exist. I can't even believe I'm hearing this nonsense.

i have to agree with daniel.its one thing to be suspicious about an athlete ,its entirely different when you make an accusation as fact without proof 
as i said before,what we do know is that sharapova tested positive for a banned substance,she was nor cleared or exonerated by CAS,only given a reduced sentence not because she didnt commit the crime,but rather because she used a lame excuse that many other cheating athletes have used in the past and which helped them get off lightly in their case 
the fact that she has been found guilty and is serving a ban because of it means that she has been accused of trying to cheat,has been found guilty of trying to cheat and is serving a ban because of it

She hasn't been found guilty of trying to cheat. In fact, as Tenez says above, the decisions made accepted that she had made an error in not realising meldonium was banned. The ban reflects the fact she was responsible for that error.

Slippy wrote:She hasn't been found guilty of trying to cheat. In fact, as Tenez says above, the decisions made accepted that she had made an error in not realising meldonium was banned. The ban reflects the fact she was responsible for that error.

then les go back to the lies she told
1 she lied about the reasons why she was using meldonium so already her credibility is shot because of that
2 she tried to hide the fact that she was using meldonium on a doping control form 
if she was using it for medical reasons and never read the memo that the drugs was going to be banned,then she would have been honest about it,she would have written on the doping control form that she was using meldonium for medical reasons
3,i find it hard to believe that she missed the email that told her that the drug was going to be banned,but somehow managed to read the email that told her that she failed a drugs test 
all the above = very incriminating
lying = hiding the truth
lots of lies were told to make it look like a case of gross negligence 
you can believe whatever you want,but those are the facts
as for the reduced sentence,that has far more to do with money and the brands she endorses and all the profit that that is being lost while she is off tour

@slippy
its entirely plausible for someone to miss an email,i get that and i believe that.that is a mistake anyone can make
the reason why i simply cannot believe sharapova is because for 10 years shes been writing on a doping control form that she was using meldonium for medical reasons,but suddenly when the drug is banned,she somehow "forgets" to write down that she is using meldonium for medicals reasons
now if we were to believe her story that she somehow missed the email,then naturally she would have continued to write down on the doping control form that she was still using meldonium for medicals reasons
the fact that she tried to hide that information when the drug became a banned substance leads me to believe that she did in fact read the email and was well aware that the drug was being banned
drugs cheats do this all the time,they take banned substances,risk their careers and endorsements thinking that they would get away with it and a lot of the times they do
and those that do get caught always seem to get off lightly if they use the ignorant," i didnt know what i was doing was wrong" excuse 

if sharapova had not told any lies,then i would believe her,i would believe that it was really just an honest mistake..but because she told lies and tried to hide information in an incriminating sort of way is the reason why i  simply cannot believe her and is why i believe that she did in fact try to cheat 
is an athlete is serving a suspension or is banned from competing because of testing positive for a banned substances,then that is classified as trying to cheat,regardless of the circumstance.

My understanding is that she never declared her use of meldonium in any of the 10 years she was taking it, not that she removed it when it became banned. Obviously, we can all speculate why she never disclosed it but, assuming I'm correct, it doesn't disprove her argument. Where have you read she removed it this year?

As for the last sentence of your first of the last two posts, that's just as lacking evidence as Tenez's "facts". The tennis authorities were brutal (rightly so) on Sharapova, despite the impact on the WTA. It's the CAS, who has no obvious financial motivation, who reduced her sentence.

She's banned.  End of. She's banned because she broke the rules. Either way, she was competing while on illegal substances.  Couldn't give a fig about the wording.

Well that's fair enough and, as I've said above, my own view is she should have been banned for two years. Whilst it's harsh on those who make a genuine error, it simply shouldn't be acceptable to be able to reduce a ban by blaming your management team.

Slippy wrote:My understanding is that she never declared her use of meldonium in any of the 10 years she was taking it, not that she removed it when it became banned. Obviously, we can all speculate why she never disclosed it but, assuming I'm correct, it doesn't disprove her argument. Where have you read she removed it this year?

As for the last sentence of your first of the last two posts, that's just as lacking evidence as Tenez's "facts". The tennis authorities were brutal (rightly so) on Sharapova, despite the impact on the WTA. It's the CAS, who has no obvious financial motivation, who reduced her sentence.

thats even more incriminating
for 10 years shes been breaking the rules by hiding the fact that she was using meldonium.that shows her up even more as a liar and deceptive person 
the drug was totally legal so why hide the fact that youre using it,especially if its for a medical reason?
there was absolutely no reason for her to hide that information cause she did nothing wrong by using the drug,the fact that she chose to be so deceptive is even further proof of why she cannot be believed or trusted in this case about "gross negligence"
this is the problem when youre a compulsive liar (and she clearly is a compulsive liar cause she obviously believes her own lies and that she is somehow a victim in all of this) 
when you tell one lie,you have to keep telling lies to cover the one lie you told and all you end up looking like is one big liar and that is why her story just doesnt add up

whats the difference between lying and cheating? not much in my opinion,one is stealing the truth,the other is stealing from your opponent  and shes clearly been telling lies to hide the fact that she tried to cheat..

im not going to pretend like none of us have never told a lie,but the difference with sharapova is that she has been wining the sports most prestigious titles and earning millions upon millions on and off the court all while being dishonest 
thats fundamentally wrong in the spirit of sport and i see no honour in it

sharapova gets reinstated as u.n ambassador 

As Sharapova's return to the tour is getting closer and her female colleagues are all competing who is going to throw the largest stone at her, Nastase has something else to say about it all:

Russia’s image when it comes to sport suffered a lot because of doping, but it’s pretty clear in Serena’s case as well,'
'Don’t you see how she looks like? No one controls the Americans when it comes to doping. If the truth came to light, all big tournaments would disappear, all sponsors would leave. You can’t even imagine.'

Exactly. Well said but Poor Him he might be sued for millions.

... wrote:As Sharapova's return to the tour is getting closer and her female colleagues are all competing who is going to throw the largest stone at her, Nastase has something else to say about it all:

Russia’s image when it comes to sport suffered a lot because of doping, but it’s pretty clear in Serena’s case as well,'
'Don’t you see how she looks like? No one controls the Americans when it comes to doping. If the truth came to light, all big tournaments would disappear, all sponsors would leave. You can’t even imagine.'

im not so sure about that...obviously they know whats going on especially nike and IGM
people will continue following sport even if it  other sports were as dirty as cycling,also as seen with someone like alberto condtador  or sharapova an athlete could actually even gain more public support and their die hard fans will defend them no matter what
sponsors only ever want to distance themselves when someone gets caught,they dont ever set out to try and catch athletes,but even then in a case like sharapova where an extremely high profile athlete thats generates enormous profits,they will do whatever they can to save their cash cow 
people want to see records being broken,as long as they do i think that tournaments will be safe no mater what 
just look at the olympics,as popular as ever and look at how many athletes get stripped of their medals 10 years later  

lets not forget that the russians have no one but themselves to blame for their tarnished doping image,just the same as the americans would only have themselves to blame if they got caught the same way the russian did
nastase obviously doesnt realise that it was 2 russian athletes who blew the lid on the doping scandal,had it not been for them,the russians would still be competing and doping at the same time

Serena's panic room incident more than her physique set my alarm bells ringing.

Drug tester arrives and she locks herself in the panic room - ostensibly panicking because she thought it was a prowler.

Mind you, I'm not accusing her of anything. I don't know.

great article,really worth reading 


In case you’ve been living under a rock, Maria Sharapova will make her competitive return to the WTA Tour at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Wednesday April 26, 2017 - and I argue why it simply shouldn’t be happening in the fashion that it is.

First of all, people are treating Sharapova as some sort of hero who has been dealt an injustice from the ITF. No, let’s get one thing straight - she was using a banned substance and was rightfully suspended from tennis - a sentence that was leniently reduced to just 15 months mind you. Just remember that Sharapova concealed the fact she had been taking meldonium for a decade from anti-doping authorities, WTA doctors and members of her own team - and she was supposedly using the drug for health reasons. Can I ask what substitute Sharapova will use upon her return to tennis now that meldonium is banned? I mean, shouldn’t Sharapova’s health concerns still exist? Anyway, that’s a whole other story, but you can certainly make your own mind up there. 

The grovelling and bowing down at the feet of Sharapova from the majority of the general tennis community has been completely and utterly nauseating. Are we really celebrating the return of a player who was banned for doping? Is tennis that desperate for publicity and money that it will compromise basic human morals for the sake of generating as much revenue as possible for Sharapova’s return? I don’t know about you, but I was face-palming like no tomorrow as my Twitter timeline blew up with cringe-worthy ‘welcome back messages’ from WTA and grand slam accounts lauding her return.

Sharapova will still be suspended from tennis for doping when the main draw of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix officially gets underway on April 24. The Russian’s ban doesn’t end until April 26. That means Sharapova will be entered in the tournament (a WTA Premier event) and the tournament will start while she’s still serving a suspension for performance enhancing drugs. Sharapova will not be allowed on site until the day of her first round match.

Yes, you can’t argue against Sharapova returning once her ban expires. She’s more than entitled to do that and is simply following the current rules. But the fact she’s coming back to competition into a tournament that will start while she’s still forcibly on the sidelines for doping is controversial to say the least. I had a short conversation with former ATP Anti-Doping chief and Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority boss Richard Ings on Twitter when the news broke, and while he took an opposite view to myself in regards to Sharapova’s return, he did suggest an alternative to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Secondly, it’s concerning that Sharapova has immediately been awarded a wildcard back to tennis - technically, she’s received a wildcard into a tournament that will start while she’s still serving a drugs ban. That’s not a good look, tennis. It’s not surprising in the slightest that Sharapova has acquired a wildcard into Stuttgart however - the tournament is after all sponsored by Porsche, who after initially distancing themselves from the 29-year-old when the meldonium scandal first broke, welcomed her back with open arms when CAS reduced the suspension to 15 months. They were always going to try and make the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Sharapova’s comeback event when her return date was announced.

But my main issue is surely doping offenders shouldn’t be instantaneously rewarded with wildcards - no less before they are even permitted to return to competition. Sharapova, who is now unranked and therefore can’t enter WTA events without a wildcard, should be forced to work her way back up the ranks by competing in the lower-tier ITF events - in other words, she should start from scratch. There’s no doubt in my mind she would obtain enough ranking points to be able to at least enter WTA qualifying within a couple of months. Sharapova is one of the most mentally strong, determined and tenacious athletes I’ve ever seen in sport. You’d think she’d want to earn her way back into the sport she loves. She certainly would gain a little more respect from tennis fans and her fellow players alike that are still reeling from her shortened ban.

Another not-so-discussed aspect of Sharapova’s return is how it could potentially affect a select group of German players. Respected veterans Andrea Petkovic (a former slam semi-finalist), Sabine Lisicki (a former Wimbledon finalist) and Julia Goerges (a Stuttgart champion in 2011), along with last year’s surprise runner-up Laura Siegemund are in danger of missing out in gaining direct entry into the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix due to their current rankings. They are also in contention to be selected for Germany for Fed Cup the week before - meaning they can’t play qualifying. This means that Petkovic, Lisicki, Goerges and Siegemund could have to rely on a wildcard to play their home event. The tournament traditionally only hands out two wildcards. One has now been allocated to Sharapova, meaning only one of the aforementioned foursome will be eligible for the other. Last year the wildcards were handed to Goerges and another German, Anna-Lena Friedsam. Essentially, these German players are being punished because the tournament - remember, sponsored by Porsche - is immediately rewarding a player who will start the event still serving a doping ban for performance-enhancing drugs, with a wildcard (or an easy route) back into competition. I feel if you have any basic morals and know the standard principles of right and wrong, that shouldn’t sit well with you.

Last of all, I found this quote from Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament director Markus Günthardt to be contentious to say the least.

“I’m really happy for Maria that she’s back after a long break. Particularly pleasing for me is that it’s going to be our audience that gets to watch her comeback live,” he said in a statement announcing Sharapova’s return. “Her return in the Porsche Arena is a fabulous present for our fantastic spectators and is certain to be one of the sporting and emotional highlights of our anniversary tournament.” 

[size]

No, she isn’t returning after a ‘long break’, she’s returning after being suspended for doping. But the phrasing and terminology isn’t surprising - ‘We can’t wait to welcome back a convicted doper from a drugs ban’ doesn’t have the same ring to it. And while we’re on the topic of ‘long break’, Sharapova is fortunate beyond belief that her ban wasn’t the standard four years, let alone being reduced from two years to 15 months. And this won’t even be her first return to a tennis court in a notable setting - Sharapova also made an appearance at a charity World Team Tennis event in Las Vegas in October and during another exhibition against current Olympic singles gold medalist Monica Puig in Puerto Rico in December.

I’ll sign off with this. I’m far from a Sharapova ‘hater’. I believe she’s an extremely valuable asset to tennis and one of the great modern-day champions. I admire her resilience and determination to come back and attempt to dominate the sport. I’ve always enjoyed watching her compete. But she committed a major offence and compromised the integrity of tennis. I’d feel (and voice my opinions) the same way about any top player if they were caught and sanctioned with a similar transgression. Tennis for far too long has catered to their superstar players and made a scapegoat out of lower-ranked ’nobodies’. And this will continue on until prominent figures inside the sport do something about it.[/size]


http://www.livetennis.com/category/opinion/maria-sharapova-and-her-shambolic-foray-back-to-top-level-tennis-20170111-0003/

Yep, pretty much says it all. The WTA is a commercial disaster as far as I can see so it comes as no surprise. I hope the ATP wouldn't feel so vulnerable, though when you look at the boost to the game because Nadal and Federer are suddenly looking like forces again maybe I'm being too optimistic there.

bogbrush wrote:Yep, pretty much says it all. The WTA is a commercial disaster as far as I can see so it comes as no surprise. I hope the ATP wouldn't feel so vulnerable, though when you look at the boost to the game because Nadal and Federer are suddenly looking like forces again maybe I'm being too optimistic there.

Tennis has done a full circle and it reminds me of a generational cycle from post war to present day.

Laver's generation (60s) had all the opportunities and enthusiasm, but not much money, then came Borg/McEnroe (80s) who built on their "parents' " work and experience and had the best of both the enthusiasam and opportunity, then came Fedal generation with the latest technology (2000s) who maximised all that was possible.

And now poor Zverev&co with nothing new to break through with,  just hard work, no silverware, no joy when playing.

I hope this doesn't mean we are in for a war next.

It stinks!

I'd sling her in the challengers and make her earn her way back up the rankings.

And tennis wonders why it has a 'class' culture ingrained in it's core.

im just happy someone finally had the balls to call her out for lying about the reasons why she was using meldonium
she thought that she could hold a press conference to be "open and honest" about failing a drugs test and then she tried to cover her story up with more lies
who did she think she was fooling??
glad to finally see someone pointing out what i have been saying all along
i also think that she should earn her way back up the rankings,play some challenger events not just be handed a wild card on a silver plate 
how much more lenient could they be,reduced the ban and now a wild card too? they are treating her like she is somehow entitled 
its not fair to the other players in the draw

Vee,

I don't understand one thing: you seem to really hate Sharapova who more or less said she doped (presented it in an acceptable PR form) yet love Serena who looks twice as doped and doesn't have guts to admit it.

I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

i seriously doubt that sharapova would have ever admitted to doping had she not been caught
she was only admitting it once she was caught
how many times do i have to say that if i ever had proof that anyone including federer or serena had used banned substances,i would expose them
sharapova is 100% guilty,serena remains pure speculation,until she is caught and found guilty i cannot hold her to the same standard as someone who has been caught and has been found guilty

what i dont understand is how you can sympathise with someone who has been caught and is 100% guilty ( purely cause she is russian) while pointing the finger at someone else 
not only that,you sympathise with the russian olympic team ( who were caught and found guilty) but point the finger at the americans

legendkillar wrote:It stinks!

I'd sling her in the challengers and make her earn her way back up the rankings.

And tennis wonders why it has a 'class' culture ingrained in it's core.

Yes, that's how it should look in an ideal word in which every doper gets punished and ideally banned for life.

But we don't live in such a world, do we?

We live in a world where Americans and Brits are allowed to dope, and Russians are not.

Veejay wrote:i seriously doubt that sharapova would have ever admitted to doping had she not been caught
she was only admitting it once she was caught
how many times do i have to say that if i ever had proof that anyone including federer or serena had used banned substances,i would expose them
sharapova is 100% guilty,serena remains pure speculation,until she is caught and found guilty i cannot hold her to the same standard as someone who has been caught and has been found guilty

what i dont understand is how you can sympathise with someone who has been caught and is 100% guilty ( purely cause she is russian) while pointing the finger at someone else 
not only that,you sympathise with the russian olympic team ( who were caught and found guilty) but point the finger at the americans

Ther is plenty of proof, vee. It is sitting in labs in Lauzanne.

Just that it will never leave that room that's all.

Might is right.

But I don't have to buy those lies. I have eyes and brains to deduce who dopes without BBC telling me.

... wrote:

legendkillar wrote:It stinks!

I'd sling her in the challengers and make her earn her way back up the rankings.

And tennis wonders why it has a 'class' culture ingrained in it's core.

Yes, that's how it should look in an ideal word in which every doper gets punished and ideally banned for life.

But we don't live in such a world, do we?

We live in a world where Americans and Brits are allowed to dope, and Russians are not.

Don't know so much about a lifetime ban. Like any offence, depends on the severity.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Seems you'll only be content if the countries/athletes you dislike are busted. Trial by public and trial by jury are two different things...

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

Well, I dislike them both...don't know which is a bigger cow and gamesmanship abuser.

Tennis wise, both excellent players.

But when I see a Russian cricified and an American grinning smugly for the same crime, then I get my claws out!

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:i seriously doubt that sharapova would have ever admitted to doping had she not been caught
she was only admitting it once she was caught
how many times do i have to say that if i ever had proof that anyone including federer or serena had used banned substances,i would expose them
sharapova is 100% guilty,serena remains pure speculation,until she is caught and found guilty i cannot hold her to the same standard as someone who has been caught and has been found guilty

what i dont understand is how you can sympathise with someone who has been caught and is 100% guilty ( purely cause she is russian) while pointing the finger at someone else 
not only that,you sympathise with the russian olympic team ( who were caught and found guilty) but point the finger at the americans

Ther is plenty of proof, vee. It is sitting in labs in Lauzanne.

Just that it will never leave that room that's all.

Might is right.

But I don't have to buy those lies. I have eyes and brains to deduce who dopes without BBC telling me.

really?
did i miss something.. do you have a link to back your claim up that proof is sitting in a lab in lausanne?
do i think that serena has used drugs,absolutely,they are all using drugs as no one competes on pure adrenalin alone
the question is who is using banned substances and how much of a difference the drugs are making
i wont however be sympathetic towards serena if ever she was exposed as a doper and/or caught like you are towards sharapova and the russian olympic team
i would treat her exactly the same way i am treating sharapova

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

It does back to the uniqueness of this case because of the substance not previously being banned. You could argue she stole an edge on her competition by taking the substance prior to it being banned. I wouldn't go as far as calling her evil. I've always been of the opinion that she was irresponsibly neglectful in relation to the heads up WADA gave her.

Her team (doctor specifically) should've informed that the game is up and the substance as of 2016 will be banned.

It's hard to really criticise her for taking what was for a long time a legal substance. Does it sit well with me she took this as it gave an edge? No, but at the same time if she was acting within the laws of the sport (which she was with this substance) I can't totally lambast her.

She was caught and punished (by definition) however, the whole PR was a total farce and I think done more damage than good. Instead of the "preventing a family illness I've not contracted" angle, she would've scored more browning points by admitting taking the substance to allow her body to keep up with the sport.

I find Vee and LK extremely biased in that topic. Sharapova did not dope. The drug was legal one month before she was caught with it. So it is just an admin mistake. very different from drugs which are know to have PE capability.

She was taking a legla drug like others are taking ibu.

I know from past discussion they do not wish to admit those simple facts and no point of me adding to it.

I would not be surprised if Shara were taking other PED but that's beyond the point here.

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

Well, I dislike them both...don't know which is a bigger cow and gamesmanship abuser.

Tennis wise, both excellent players.

But when I see a Russian cricified and an American grinning smugly for the same crime, then I get my claws out!

if serena was caught and tried to lie her way out of it the same way sharapova has i would react the exact same way 
zero sympathy and i would lose all respect for her

they are all using drugs,so its pointless pointing a finger 
its what happens when they get caught that irks me the most
just admit it,dont try to lie your way out of it like youre somehow innocent,claim ignorance or be arrogant and unapologetic about it like armstrong 
dont try to be the victim

Tenez wrote:I find Vee and LK extremely biased in that topic. Sharapova did not dope. The drug was legal one month before she was caught with it. So it is just an admin mistake. very different from drugs which are know to have PE capability.

She was taking a legla drug like others are taking ibu.

I know from past discussion they do not wish to admit those simple facts and no point of me adding to it.

I would not be surprised if Shara were taking other PED but that's beyond the point here.

You never answered my question at the time as to why she took a substance you liken to ibuprofen and not ibuprofen itself that can be bought over the counter without prescription globally?

You talk about facts, but conveniently ignore that one.

I won't re-repeat the any of what was covered previously.

Veejay wrote:

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

Well, I dislike them both...don't know which is a bigger cow and gamesmanship abuser.

Tennis wise, both excellent players.

But when I see a Russian cricified and an American grinning smugly for the same crime, then I get my claws out!

if serena was caught and tried to lie her way out of it the same way sharapova has i would react the exact same way 
zero sympathy and i would lose all respect for her

the point is, she will never get caught, she is protected by her US passport which acts like a diplomatic one.

Can't you see it?

Tenez wrote:I find Vee and LK extremely biased in that topic. Sharapova did not dope. The drug was legal one month before she was caught with it. So it is just an admin mistake. very different from drugs which are know to have PE capability.

She was taking a legla drug like others are taking ibu.

I know from past discussion they do not wish to admit those simple facts and no point of me adding to it.

I would not be surprised if Shara were taking other PED but that's beyond the point here.

gosh you and NITB still dont get it 
im issue isnt the fact that she was caught using a drug,whether it was banned or legal
its the fact that she LIED 
she lied about the reason why she was using the drug when there was no reason to lie 
this is why i dont believe her story

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

Well, I dislike them both...don't know which is a bigger cow and gamesmanship abuser.

Tennis wise, both excellent players.

But when I see a Russian cricified and an American grinning smugly for the same crime, then I get my claws out!

if serena was caught and tried to lie her way out of it the same way sharapova has i would react the exact same way 
zero sympathy and i would lose all respect for her

the point is, she will never get caught, she is protected by her US passport which acts like a diplomatic one.

Can't you see it?

im guessing that there is no link to support your claim
im all for exposing dopers but we cant make things up to support our plight
you still dont get it
it my issue doesnt really have anything to do with her being caught using a drug that was legal or recently
they are all using drugs,banned or legal.that is not the issue here for me
its the fact that she lied about the reasons why she was using he drug which why i dont believe her gross negligence 
if what she was saying was true there would be no reason to lie about anything 
she lying to cover something up
she also never disclosed using meldonium for a medical reasons when the drug was perfectly legal
that is very very shady 
if this situation were reversed and it was serena who was caught,it woudnt so much be the fact that she was caught using a banned ( or recently banned ) substance,it would be about the fact that she tried to lie her way out of it,or told lies to make her look innocent when she isnt 
how difficult can it be to understand that?

The following article is excellent in highlighting the improbability of Sharapova continuing to use meldonium as an oversight - ie not realising that it was banned - given how meticulously her team have choreagraphed her return. She's a dirty, slimy cheat as far as i'm concerned.


One can only assume she doesn’t realise it, but nothing widens the credibility gap with Maria Sharapova quite so much as the manner of her return. As always with the women’s tour’s most bankable star, who returns to tennis next week after a 15-month doping ban, not a single thing has been left to chance, and no moment of opportunity has been left unexploited.
Sharapova will appear on court at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart next week – a wildcard entry on the day her ban expires – and to coincide with this her management have coordinated a veritable blitzkrieg of micromanaged synergies. The carefully placed interviews, the speaking engagements, an announced development in her confectionery line, the release of the front cover of her forthcoming autobiography … each day brings a new and meticulously planned announcement. And the more relentless it is, the more awesomely professional, the harder it is to believe these are the sort of people to make a doping cock-up. Why didn’t they know? It was literally their business to know.


Maria Sharapova expects suspicious welcome back into tennis fold
Maria Sharapova accepts she will have a cloud of suspicion hanging over her when she returns to the tennis circuit next month

Read more


Maybe Team Sharapova have always been so busy giving interviews about how amazingly brand-focused they are that not one has the time for boring little emails from the World Anti-Doping Agency. Maybe. The alternative is to be reminded of the Team Sky/British Cycling set-up, where the very best of the best take care of every tiny little thing – except keeping basic medical records. Honestly, you go to all that trouble shaving milliseconds off here and there, then you plunge your set-up into a long-running, debilitating scandal that must wipe out every one of those gains and more. What are the chances? As with Sharapova, the public must decide whether such glaring oversights are amazingly unprofessional or simply incredible in context.
It is probably wise not to expect too much more daylight to be let in on magic when Maria’s book hits the shelves this September. In the first teaser for Unstoppable – released this week, of course – Sharapova hints otherwise, declaring: “I talk to reporters but I never tell everything I know.” On that we can all agree. “This is a story about sacrifice, about what you have to give up. But it’s also just the story of a girl and her father and their crazy adventure.” Does it turn out to be about not the glittering prize but instead about the friends they met along the way? No. Not if the simmering outrage about Sharapova’s return from some quarters of the Women’s Tennis Association locker room is anything to go by.

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There is no direct mention in the blurb of Sharapova’s doping ban or the circumstances around it – it is simply repackaged as “her recent fight to get back on the court”. Which feels a little like characterising a spell at Her Majesty’s pleasure as “a fight to get back home”. It certainly underscores the line she took during a recent appearance at the ANA Inspiring Women in Sports conference, where she said of her appeal against a lengthier ban for a doping offence, “that’s why I fought so hard for the truth to be out”.
Thank you, Erin Brockovich. If you’re resisting the idea that the 11-times world’s highest-paid female athlete Maria Sharapova has to fight every inch against a system stacked against her, you should probably just chill out and submit. Unless you’re the International Tennis Federation, at whose door she graciously decided to put some of the blame for her taking a banned substance. “Why didn’t someone [from the ITF] come up to me and have a private conversation,” she wondered in a Times interview at the weekend, “just an official to an athlete?” The ITF has responded it was unaware she took meldonium but will doubtless have been grateful for yet another reminder the business was all somehow its fault.
As far as Sharapova’s management are concerned, though, the deep waters of euphemism have already closed over the phrase “drugs ban”. It is now officially “a situation like that” or “that type of year”. As her agent puts it: “I think it’s a real credit to what we’ve done beforehand, to be able to sustain that type of year.” The managing director of her sweets firm describes Team Sharapova’s performance as “a textbook in years to come in how to credibly and honourably deal with a situation like that. And I think the results show how professionally they handled it.” Well quite. They really couldn’t have been more professional. You know, except with that one thing.
Still, their undoubted skill has been deployed to encourage many commentators to put the kindest possible interpretation on an unfortunate set of facts. Consider the glowing Times interview with Sharapova, which remarked: “To her credit, she didn’t parcel out blame. No one got fired. And throughout this ban, all the principal members of her team have stayed with her.” I can’t help feeling there’s more than one way to look at that, no matter how professionally they work to convince us otherwise.

lol - her recent fight to get back on the court - lovely euphemisms abound

thank you for making me laugh by posting that article TMF
that is exactly the kind of nausiating manure that the author of the article i posted was talking about

i nearly peed in my pants when reading "thats why i fought so hard for the truth to come out" 
really?? you mean the lies and story you conjured up about the reasons why you were using meldonium,how you never disclosed using meldonium on a doping control form ( very incriminating ) and how you managed to read the email that told that you failed a drugs test but somehow missed the memo that the drug was being banned?

... wrote:

Veejay wrote:i seriously doubt that sharapova would have ever admitted to doping had she not been caught
she was only admitting it once she was caught
how many times do i have to say that if i ever had proof that anyone including federer or serena had used banned substances,i would expose them
sharapova is 100% guilty,serena remains pure speculation,until she is caught and found guilty i cannot hold her to the same standard as someone who has been caught and has been found guilty

what i dont understand is how you can sympathise with someone who has been caught and is 100% guilty ( purely cause she is russian) while pointing the finger at someone else 
not only that,you sympathise with the russian olympic team ( who were caught and found guilty) but point the finger at the americans

Ther is plenty of proof, vee. It is sitting in labs in Lauzanne.

Just that it will never leave that room that's all.

Might is right.

But I don't have to buy those lies. I have eyes and brains to deduce who dopes without BBC telling me.

No that's not proof; that's just you speculating.

legendkillar wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

It does back to the uniqueness of this case because of the substance not previously being banned. You could argue she stole an edge on her competition by taking the substance prior to it being banned. I wouldn't go as far as calling her evil. I've always been of the opinion that she was irresponsibly neglectful in relation to the heads up WADA gave her.

Her team (doctor specifically) should've informed that the game is up and the substance as of 2016 will be banned.

It's hard to really criticise her for taking what was for a long time a legal substance. Does it sit well with me she took this as it gave an edge? No, but at the same time if she was acting within the laws of the sport (which she was with this substance) I can't totally lambast her.

She was caught and punished (by definition) however, the whole PR was a total farce and I think done more damage than good. Instead of the "preventing a family illness I've not contracted" angle, she would've scored more browning points by admitting taking the substance to allow her body to keep up with the sport.

its not so much the fact that she took a drug to get an egde 
the drug was legal and so many other athletes do the same,its the actual case that gets to me
she lied about the reasons why she took the drug,conjured up some kind of condition that never existed 
so her credibility is shot and gives me no reason to believe her about anything because shes already lied 
then theres the fact that she never disclosed meldonium on a doping control form,which is very incriminating 
surely if you have nothing to hide and was doing nothing wrong,why withhold that information 
then theres the pathetic lame excuse about how she missed the memo that the drug was being banned
if you know that every year a list of banned substances would be forwarded to you,as  a professional athlete youd go out of your way to find out if whatever youre taking is legal or banned before starting every season 
her excuse isnt good enough
there were a lot of lies told to make this look like a case of gross neglect but the the truth is that its all bullshit and the guy who wrote that article that i posted should see straight through her lies,hence the highlighted part

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

It does back to the uniqueness of this case because of the substance not previously being banned. You could argue she stole an edge on her competition by taking the substance prior to it being banned. I wouldn't go as far as calling her evil. I've always been of the opinion that she was irresponsibly neglectful in relation to the heads up WADA gave her.

Her team (doctor specifically) should've informed that the game is up and the substance as of 2016 will be banned.

It's hard to really criticise her for taking what was for a long time a legal substance. Does it sit well with me she took this as it gave an edge? No, but at the same time if she was acting within the laws of the sport (which she was with this substance) I can't totally lambast her.

She was caught and punished (by definition) however, the whole PR was a total farce and I think done more damage than good. Instead of the "preventing a family illness I've not contracted" angle, she would've scored more browning points by admitting taking the substance to allow her body to keep up with the sport.

its not so much the fact that she took a drug to get an egde 
the drug was legal and so many other athletes do the same,its the actual case that gets to me
she lied about the reasons why she took the drug,conjured up some kind of condition that never existed 
so her credibility is shot and gives me no reason to believe her about anything because shes already lied 
then theres the fact that she never disclosed meldonium on a doping control form,which is very incriminating 
surely if you have nothing to hide and was doing nothing wrong,why withhold that information 
then theres the pathetic lame excuse about how she missed the memo that the drug was being banned
if you know that every year a list of banned substances would be forwarded to you,as  a professional athlete youd go out of your way to find out if whatever youre taking is legal or banned before starting every season 
her excuse isnt good enough
there were a lot of lies told to make this look like a case of gross neglect but the the truth is that its all bullshit and the guy who wrote that article that i posted should see straight through her lies,hence the highlighted part

Exactly.

An elite athlete with a medical condition that apparently affects her heart and prevents development of diabetes and other things - thus requiring a medicine that she takes as and when she pleases and funny enough takes in higher doses or more frequently prior to an important match - puhlease what a load of BS.

She took it as a PED - it was legal - then when it became illegal she continued to take it thinking she was too big to get busted. She and her team are far too professional to have been ignorant or negligent.

She's a lying cheat and it's disgraceful that the tennis community is trying to brush this under the carpet and treating it as if it's a misunderstanding of some sort.

TMF wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:

Veejay wrote:

legendkillar wrote:I don't think Vee hates Sharapova. I think his perceived hatred (consequently I don't think it's hate) is at how it is handled once someone is caught doping. In this case with Sharapova how she has been given a reduced ban and seemingly heralded a hero for doping because she came out and admitted it.

I think like Blackbeard, Vee finds himself in a bewilderment when it seems there are those who try to see positives or justification in her actions.

thanks LK but NITB is correct i cannot stand sharapova 
but that isnt clouding my judgement in this case 
what gets to me the most is that she was caught and instead of just being honest she tried to lie her way out of it
she tried to pretend that she was being open and honest by coming out and making her failed drugs test public but then told loads of lies and conjured some story up to make herself look innocent,like it was just an honest mistake 
how twisted,manipulative and evil is that? 
her story doesnt add up and im glad someone else can see right through her 
shes not just a doper she a liar too

It does back to the uniqueness of this case because of the substance not previously being banned. You could argue she stole an edge on her competition by taking the substance prior to it being banned. I wouldn't go as far as calling her evil. I've always been of the opinion that she was irresponsibly neglectful in relation to the heads up WADA gave her.

Her team (doctor specifically) should've informed that the game is up and the substance as of 2016 will be banned.

It's hard to really criticise her for taking what was for a long time a legal substance. Does it sit well with me she took this as it gave an edge? No, but at the same time if she was acting within the laws of the sport (which she was with this substance) I can't totally lambast her.

She was caught and punished (by definition) however, the whole PR was a total farce and I think done more damage than good. Instead of the "preventing a family illness I've not contracted" angle, she would've scored more browning points by admitting taking the substance to allow her body to keep up with the sport.

its not so much the fact that she took a drug to get an egde 
the drug was legal and so many other athletes do the same,its the actual case that gets to me
she lied about the reasons why she took the drug,conjured up some kind of condition that never existed 
so her credibility is shot and gives me no reason to believe her about anything because shes already lied 
then theres the fact that she never disclosed meldonium on a doping control form,which is very incriminating 
surely if you have nothing to hide and was doing nothing wrong,why withhold that information 
then theres the pathetic lame excuse about how she missed the memo that the drug was being banned
if you know that every year a list of banned substances would be forwarded to you,as  a professional athlete youd go out of your way to find out if whatever youre taking is legal or banned before starting every season 
her excuse isnt good enough
there were a lot of lies told to make this look like a case of gross neglect but the the truth is that its all bullshit and the guy who wrote that article that i posted should see straight through her lies,hence the highlighted part

Exactly.

An elite athlete with a medical condition that apparently affects her heart and prevents development of diabetes and other things - thus requiring a medicine that she takes as and when she pleases and funny enough takes in higher doses or more frequently prior to an important match - puhlease what a load of BS.

She took it as a PED - it was legal - then when it became illegal she continued to take it thinking she was too big to get busted. She and her team are far too professional to have been ignorant or negligent.

She's a lying cheat and it's disgraceful that the tennis community is trying to brush this under the carpet and treating it as if it's a misunderstanding of some sort.

thats exactly what i think happened too
if she got caught they would just claim ignorance something that so many dopers have gotten away with
the funny part is if she never lied about the reasons why she took meldonium,most people would have believed that it was just an honest mistake 
lying= trying to cover up the truth

TMF wrote:[q
Exactly.

An elite athlete with a medical condition that apparently affects her heart and prevents development of diabetes and other things - thus requiring a medicine that she takes as and when she pleases and funny enough takes in higher doses or more frequently prior to an important match - puhlease what a load of BS.

She took it as a PED - it was legal - then when it became illegal she continued to take it thinking she was too big to get busted. She and her team are far too professional to have been ignorant or negligent.

She's a lying cheat and it's disgraceful that the tennis community is trying to brush this under the carpet and treating it as if it's a misunderstanding of some sort.

Nonsense. The benefit of that drug and classification as a PED is still very questioned. DO you think someone with her reputation and million of sponsors would risk it on such a poor benefit? This is why I think none of you 3 use common sense on that case...and god knows I am not a fan of Shara.

Actually, She really went up in my consideration by the way she handled that mess. To me the establishment is at least as guilty as her and that;s what teh tribunal found out.

Tenez wrote:

TMF wrote:[q
Exactly.

An elite athlete with a medical condition that apparently affects her heart and prevents development of diabetes and other things - thus requiring a medicine that she takes as and when she pleases and funny enough takes in higher doses or more frequently prior to an important match - puhlease what a load of BS.

She took it as a PED - it was legal - then when it became illegal she continued to take it thinking she was too big to get busted. She and her team are far too professional to have been ignorant or negligent.

She's a lying cheat and it's disgraceful that the tennis community is trying to brush this under the carpet and treating it as if it's a misunderstanding of some sort.

Nonsense. The benefit of that drug and classification as a PED is still very questioned. DO you think someone with her reputation and million of sponsors would risk it on such a poor benefit? This is why I think none of you 3 use common sense on that case...and god knows I am not a fan of Shara.

Actually, She really went up in my consideration by the way she handled that mess. To me the establishment is at least as guilty as her and that;s what teh tribunal found out.

Sorry Ten but you are talking out of your arse and you know it. You know like I do that the reason you refuse to answer my question is because it sinks your whole argument. No professional athlete in their right mind would try to obtain a drug with the properties of ibuprofen on prescription when they can buy it over the counter.

You're doing a Daniel and trying to rant people into submission. At least have the good grace to accept you're wrong on this score.

I've given up "ranting people into submission".  The only reason it turns into a rant is because half you guys can't just take a counter argument that includes evidence - and just simply blame doping / anything else when you are wrong. You're doing a "daniel" right here actually  - not that you realize it.  You are here repeating the same thing over and over to Tenez expecting that he will yield or accept the evidence. And he won't.  Case in point: The Monte Carlo thread - and this thread.

Once again: Wiki:
Don Catlin, a long-time anti-doping expert and the scientific director of the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) said “There’s really no evidence that there’s any performance enhancement from meldonium - Zero percent.”[4]

But like some here know better than Pete sampras and federer when it comes to tennis, teh sames know better than Doctors and drug specialists when it comes to drugs. Oh and also you know better than the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)who found "no significant fault" in her case! Frankly some of you are so biased it is unbelievable. Serena blocking the doors at antidoping agents is on the other hand ok for you?

have your feelings been hurt daniel? 

for most of this discussion tenez has been focusing purely on meldonium the drug,when it was banned and whether or not its really performance enhancing while for the most part me including others have been focusing on sharapova -the case 
no one is disputing that the drug  had only been recently banned or claimed that its a game changing drug
but these are the facts of the case
she called a press conference to give the impression that she was being open and honest about failing a drug test,its an attempt to gain public trust by letting them think that she is an honest person who never intended to break any doping rule and that this was just an innocent mistake or gross negligence 
but then she lies about the reasons why she was using meldonuim,creates a condition that never existed so now her credibility is already shot and leaves you to question if anything else she is saying us true
further more it comes to light that she never disclosed using meldonium on a doping control form for 10 years!! ( even though the drug was legal ) that is very incriminating and is a clear breach of rules
she claims that she missed the memo that told her that the drug was being banned...but seriously any pro athlete with a condition that needs the drug would go out of their way to make sure they know whether the drug would need a TUE or not,for the simple fact that they would need to continue using the drug
this proves that there as no heath condition cause you dont just assume and presume when it comes to your heath,especially for athletes
her whole story is all one big lie to cover up taking the drug meldonium for whatever performance enhancing ability it was giving her 

if you take all this into consideration,her story doesnt add up and she is telling loads of lies to make it look like a case of gross neglect all while claiming to open and honest,thats shes "fighting for the truth to come out" making it look like she is some kind of innocent victim who has been hounded by a  vicious witch hunt who are after her purely because she is russian 
then on top of it,her sentence is reduced!!