Nadal Was Caught Doping in 2012

...but, according to French ex-secretary of sport, his case was covered up:

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On Tuesday, Roselyne Bachelot, the former French secretary of sport, accused Nadal of doping in 2012, echoing accusations made by former French Open champion Yannick Noah in 2011 and by former Belgian pro Christophe Rochus in 2013.

"We know that Nadal's famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test]," Bachelot told French TV show "Le Grand 8" on Tuesday morning. "When you see a tennis player who stops playing for long months, it is because he has tested positive and because they are covering it up. It is not something that always happens, but yes it happens more than you think."
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http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/14942201/rafael-nadal-denies-doping-new-allegations-arise-former-french-sports-secretary

Toni calls her "an imbecile"...

http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-sport/buzz/2016/03/11/27002-20160311ARTFIG00057-toni-nadal-repond-a-roselyne-bachelot-cette-femme-est-imbecile.php

Loves it!!
Hope more come out to expose him
Bachelot's comments just further solidifies my stance that the ITF has no credibility and has been covering up failed drugs tests for years

"
Facing new accusations that he sat out portions of 2012 because he feared testing positive for a banned substance, Rafael Nadal again denied he has ever used performance enhancers to speed his recovery from injury. "

Is that a typo is was that intentional?? lol

This also confirms what my friend Truffin1 was saying back in 2012 about what his friend at IMG told him about Nadal failing a drugs test

Apparently, Nadal is suing her!

The Nadal camp said that they were going to sue that French tv channel
Did that ever happen?
How many times has Nadal been accused of doping and how many times have they threatened to sue?

Latest:


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MADRID (AP) The Spanish government and Olympic committee have defended Rafael Nadal from doping accusations made by a former French official.

Former French Minister for Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot told French television on Thursday that Nadal's seven-month injury hiatus in 2012 was ''probably due to a positive doping test.''

The Spanish Olympic Committee has responded with a statement saying Nadal ''has been submitted to innumerable anti-doping controls that he has always passed throughout his long career.''

Miguel Cardenal, the president of Spain's Higher Sports Council, calls Bachelot's accusations ''slander of one of the most important athletes in history.''

Nadal's coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, called Bachelot ''an imbecile,'' according to Spanish media.

Bachelot's accusations come in the wake of Maria Sharapova's failed doping test."
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Spaniards, the land of Julia Santamaria and Dr Fuentes...have always been scumbags!

I know it's a crude expression but I'd love Nadal's sh*t to hit the fan!

IT'S NOW OR NEVER!!!!

And as I said the other day, this is a leap year: expect the unexpected!

I was just thinking that,what if this Sharapova scandal turns out to expose the doping culture in tennis
I don't know how the Spanish Olympic committee expects anyone to take them seriously when their prime minister exonerated drugs cheat Alberto Contador and their judge Julia Satamaria ordered that all the doping evidence in the Puerto and Galgo cases be destroyed??!!!!

noleisthebest wrote:Apparently, Nadal is suing her!

Doubt very much he goes through with it. He also threatened to sue Journal du dimanche back in 2006 when they published the Fuentes client list with his name on it, but nothing ever happened. Too risky probably.

noleisthebest wrote:...but, according to French ex-secretary of sport, his case was covered up:

======================================================
On Tuesday, Roselyne Bachelot, the former French secretary of sport, accused Nadal of doping in 2012, echoing accusations made by former French Open champion Yannick Noah in 2011 and by former Belgian pro Christophe Rochus in 2013.

"We know that Nadal's famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test]," Bachelot told French TV show "Le Grand 8" on Tuesday morning. "When you see a tennis player who stops playing for long months, it is because he has tested positive and because they are covering it up. It is not something that always happens, but yes it happens more than you think."
=======================================================


http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/14942201/rafael-nadal-denies-doping-new-allegations-arise-former-french-sports-secretary

Toni calls her "an imbecile"...

http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-sport/buzz/2016/03/11/27002-20160311ARTFIG00057-toni-nadal-repond-a-roselyne-bachelot-cette-femme-est-imbecile.php

Bachelot is indeed an idiot. Toni is right....but he doesn't know why.

To say something like that she probably knows for sure he was tested positive. As stupid as she is, she is still smart enough not to accuse without proof. So Toni's only defense is insult....cause a trial would force her to reveal the facts.

What the hell is Rafael Nadal doing with his crotch??

https://youtu.be/V3a68hG5Hyg

https://youtu.be/k5S11iBSgA4

https://youtu.be/Xmd69S3EDw8

He is always scratching his ass and crotch like an ape on heat,is he actually hiding something in there?? Lol

This is becoming comically ugly now:

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"Nadal's greatness and his incredible achievements have always been based upon a foundation of exemplary conduct, unwavering work, talent and astonishing levels of commitment.

"This being the case, our institution considers the attacks made on his person by former minister Roselyne Bachelot to be unjustifiable and unacceptable."

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane added: "I feel bad for Rafa Nadal because he is a gentleman, a person that has shown the values he has and that everyone loves.

"He is a professional and I know him a little. I feel bad for what they have said.

==================================

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/35794268

Call me naive or even an idiot & imbecile, but I am very disappointerd with Zidane, Forget and others who are standing by Nadal in this case.

I don't think Bachelot is an idiot, she is a brave soul.

I want Nadal to sue Bachelot an then see if France would stand by her like Spain is standing by their cheat hero.

Maybe the truth would sober French people.

Everyone wants a better world from the comfort of their sofa...it doesn't work like that!

Zinedine calls Nadal a gentleman?? And then he expects us to take his comments and opinion seriously?? Lol
I doubt he would be defending him if he wasn't working in Spain for the club Nadal has some kind of special membership with
I really wish that the Nadal camp would pursue legal action,but there's no way they will

noleisthebest wrote:Call me naive or even an idiot & imbecile, but I am very disappointerd with Zidane, Forget and others who are standing by Nadal in this case.

I like Zidane as a footballer, but a doper defending another doper isn't exactly surprising.  According to a statement of team doctor Jean-Pierre Paclet (in a hearing by the French senate) the French national team of 1998 were conspicious by their high hemoglobin values. Zidane also got mentioned in the doping scandal evolving around Juventus Turin.

Real Madrid is of course infamously connected to Eufemiano Fuentes and will hope for the lawcourt to finally order the destruction of those pesky blood bags. Not unlike Nadal himself.

Tenez wrote:Bachelot is indeed an idiot. Toni is right....but he doesn't know why. 

What is it you are saying here exactly? I don't get the allusion.

Autumnleaf wrote:

Tenez wrote:Bachelot is indeed an idiot. Toni is right....but he doesn't know why. 

What is it you are saying here exactly? I don't get the allusion.

I know Bachelot for her political views and she is an idiot....like many of our politicians. I was not judging her on Nadal's comment. She better have proof to say something like that though.

Tenez wrote:I know Bachelot for her political views and she is an idiot....like many of our politicians. I was not judging her on Nadal's comment. She better have proof to say something like that though.

Have no idea what her political ideas are, probably irrelevant to her statement about Nadal though. She is almost certainly right about him, but who knows whether she can produce proof? Maybe if the AFLD had found something dodgy during that FO 2009...

Anyway I still doubt, the Nadals will go through with a law suit. Would remind very much of Lance Armstrong, if he does.

yes but they will still have to show the world they are going to sue her....and will stop taking actions when the media will have forgotten about it and moved on.

So yes no trial in sight!

Autumnleaf wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Call me naive or even an idiot & imbecile, but I am very disappointerd with Zidane, Forget and others who are standing by Nadal in this case.

I like Zidane as a footballer, but a doper defending another doper isn't exactly surprising.  According to a statement of team doctor Jean-Pierre Paclet (in a hearing by the French senate) the French national team of 1998 were conspicious by their high hemoglobin values. Zidane also got mentioned in the doping scandal evolving around Juventus Turin.

Real Madrid is of course infamously connected to Eufemiano Fuentes and will hope for the lawcourt to finally order the destruction of those pesky blood bags. Not unlike Nadal himself.

Yes, it's all utterly disgusting.

I hate when people tell lies for money. To me, Zidane supporting Nadal is as bad if not worse than Nadal doping.

Not much different than Federer saying he is happy for Nadal to win 9 RGs.

Maaan, I wouldn't say it if they pulled my nails with pliars!

All comes from the same spineless fountain.

It is not a doper defending another doper. It is a modern athlete (hence a doper) defending another modern athlete (hence a doper).

Since anti doping is so much behind, athletes have no choice but dope....unless you are a one in a billion genius and can afford to make a living without doping....maybe.

So el toro has asked the ITF to publish the results of his drug tests lol
I guess the Nadal camp won't be suing again...lol

Interesting Vee.

Why are Murray, Djoko and Nadal so fit compared to the rest?

Surely t erest can catch up!

Actually I was wrong it seems the Nadal camp are going to sue

Here's a really interesting conversation over on THASP


SpartinaApril 25, 2016 at 4:07 PM
A what if here... As in, be careful for which you ask.

How could this backfire on Nadal? Once in court, would Nadal actually swear under oath that he has never take PEDs, etc? Could test results be compelled as evidence? If so, what if "none were found?" Would the ITF be called to answer why? Etc.

My point being that Nadal could be causing his own public downfall. Not to mention blowing up the ITF.

Shades of FIFA...

Any legal oriented folks care to comment?

I know, it's wishful thinking but... One can only dream...

Reply
Replies

Anonymous009April 26, 2016 at 5:11 AM
Hear hear! Well said.


richardApril 26, 2016 at 6:11 AM
Bachelot has two possible defences. She can argue that her claim is true, in which case she has to produce evidence that supports that, or she can say that her claim is fair comment, in other words is a reasonable assertion made in good faith based on information in the public domain on a matter of public interest. The latter would be easier for her to maintain, as it wouldn't require her to produce actual evidence of a failed test. She could argue that people have been saying publicly for years that Nadal has been doping and he hasn't legally challenged that, so her assertion merely reflects widely circulated and often well-informed opinion about Nadal.

If the case goes to court, the rumours about Nadal become a central feature of the case. He is dumb to risk that, because even if he wins the case the question-mark of his doping becomes firmly entrenched in the public mind. No smoke without fire, as they say. He will be gambling that Bachelot will settle before it goes to court.

As we know that Armstrong sued his critics the Bachelot case cannot prove Nadal is not or has not been a doper. It is a legal contest only. I remain one of those whose mind has been made up by watching him play over the years and observing the strange vicissitudes of his career. His recent assertions convince me of nothing.


LopiApril 26, 2016 at 7:18 AM
You're right. He's dumb to take this risk. I'm pretty sure the average tennis spectator didn't even hear her comments but now they have. Nadal and his uncle should have let it lie because, as you say, why didn't they sue everyone else who has insinuated that he's a doper? Yannick Noah, etc. And now, people are just saying, well Armstrong sued and look how that turned out.


G MurphApril 26, 2016 at 12:33 PM
I think from a legal prospective the burden of proof is on Bachelot not Nadal so theres very little risk involved. Nadal is suing because of the damage to his image and brand by the accusation not that he's not doping. He doesn't have to supply evidence, Bachelot will have to defend her comments as necessary and true. As for Nadal releasing his medical data (Below) - it took Chris Froome some time but he was able to come up data to prove he's clean and i'd image Nadal has superior resources in this regard.


maryApril 26, 2016 at 3:32 PM
I notice that the statement Bachelot is being sued over includes the word probably...Nadal's injury break was "probably" due to a failed doping test. I wonder if she can win by proving (I think easily) that other injury breaks in tennis were in fact provisional suspensions and that the rules still allow for that slight of hand. I don't know enough about French law to know if that would work but if I were her lawyer, I would certainly focus on her use of the word "probably" given the Cilic story.


richardApril 26, 2016 at 4:52 PM
To correct a misunderstanding, Bachelot does not have to prove her claims are true, only that they were "fair comment" made in good faith. Easier to defend. And plausible.


maryApril 26, 2016 at 5:13 PM
Here is a little bit more information on the good faith defense in France. It is not nearly as broad as the fair comment defense in the US. "Good faith Defendants who are unable to establish
truth can present evidence of good faith, such as belief in the truth of the statement, deadline pressures, desire to inform the
public, and the use of the word "allegedly". A publisher/broadcaster/journalist/author could have a defence based on good faith if he can prove all of the following:
„ the statement is based on a serious investigation,
„ the statement concerns a matter of public
importance,„ the tone and balance of the statement is
measured and objective, and „ there is no trace of personal hostility in the statement."


J JohnsonApril 26, 2016 at 6:44 PM
Mary, Bachelot didn't say Nadal "probably" failed a drug test and hence was on a tennis break, she said:
“We know that Nadal’s famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test]. When you see a tennis player who stops playing for long months, it is because he has tested positive and because they are covering it up. It is not something that always happens, but yes it happens more than you think.”
The burden of proof is on Bachelot and unless she has some evidence we don't know about, I doubt she will be able to meet either the truth or good faith burdens of proof. I think Nadal will come out the winner on this one and Bachelot will probably have to issue a retraction and perhaps pay damages which in France are normally very low in these types of cases and could be as low as $1.


J JohnsonApril 26, 2016 at 6:55 PM
Richard, I think Bachelot will probably settle and will probably issue a public retraction. I doubt Nadal's lawyers would proceed with this lawsuit if they thought Bachelot had any hard evidence to support her comment. But even if they do go to court, in France the defamation laws are with the claimant or the person being defamed. Unless Bachelot has some hard evidence we don't know about, it's hard to see how Nadal won't come out a winner here.


richardApril 26, 2016 at 7:28 PM
You are correct about her initial comments, but she subsequently qualified them, as reasonable conjecture rather than hard fact. That is "fair comment". It is not only Nadal's reputation that is at stake here; hers is also. She may not wish to concede on this.


J JohnsonApril 26, 2016 at 9:17 PM
Any subsequent qualified statement doesn't matter because the damage of the first statement is already out there. I don't see how she can prove the good faith qualifications as her original statement did sound like it had personal hostility in it.

Believe me, I think Nadal is a likely doper but I can't see how Bachelot wins this case unless she has some smoking gun we don't know about.


richardApril 26, 2016 at 11:25 PM
A subsequent statement can be relevant - otherwise what validity would any retraction have? - if it either reduces or reinforces the effect of the initial statement. It is also relevant as to issues of good faith or malice. Legal arguments are not generally straightforward. The question in this case may not come to any single statement made by Bachelot but the combination of statements - the later ones appearing to lessen her initial claim - and the accompanying context, which was the discussion of these issues on a television programme. Bachelot may be in a corner but I would warrant she could mount a defence that says she withdrew from her original comments to the realm of reasonable conjecture. And there she might find agreement by a court.


maryApril 27, 2016 at 9:37 AM
I have to agree with J Johnson given the actual quote. It is phrased with certainty and not as an opinion. Unless some positive test is out there, I see a settlement.


richardApril 27, 2016 at 5:54 PM
You are right if that is all she said. But it wasn't. I hope she doesn't simply roll over for him. The rest of the tour has.


J JohnsonApril 27, 2016 at 10:48 PM
Expect Bachelot to roll over. The law in France is not on her side here based on her comments. I think it will be difficult for her to prove truth or good faith. Advantage Nadal.


Looks like Nadal could come out the winner if it goes to trail
I assume that's the reason why they will sue cause they are pretty confident that they will win
This could be Lance Armstrong all over again
But maybe that could a positive thing,maybe the people who are "in the know " with proof would find it hard to ignore their conscience and speak up

I think Bachelot came out like 2 weeks later though, and basically admitted she doesn't have any specific evidence; which will make her defence a lot harder.