CAMELOT FANTASIES

I just heard about Sharapova's press conference. WTH! I heard that she can be stripped of her trophies. Is that true? Unbelievable.

Lady TT, no it is not true. 

The drug she was caught taking, meldonium, was only put on the prohibited list as of Jan 1, 2016. 

But it was on the monitored list for a year.  This is a list where its use is monitored to see how many athletes are taking advantage of it, to help deterrmine if it is being used to enhance performance.  In WADA's (World Anti-Doping Agency) judgement it was, so they added it to the 2016 prohibited list in September 2015.  They and WTA sent notices to all players, and not only 1.  According to recent info, no less than 5 notices were sent, some of them specifically mentioning meldonium.

She has said she has taken it for 10 years via a family doctor, but during that time it was not illegal according to the WADA code. 
However, it was also not a drug available for purchase in the USA.  It could be bought in Eastern Europe, and Russia.

She may have been unethical at most during that time, knowing she was taking something to enhance her performance.

The worst that will happen is that she:

1.  Loses all her money and points from the Australian Open,  This is almost certain, unless they manage to argue successfully for a backdated TUE (Therapeutic Use Excemption) which allows her to legally use it based on a previously existing medical condition.

2., Could be suspended up to 4 years.  More likely is 1-2 years.

3. Lose sponsorships left and right costing her perhaps hundreds of millions in the short term, and who knows what in the long term.  NIKE alone is worth 70 million/year.  They and Porsche have suspended their arrangement, watchmaker TAG Heuer will not renew her contract.

4. Her reputation may be greatly tarnished, even though she flatly acknowledged her mistake immediately.  It was said that she had the potential to be a billionaire.  Not sure if that's going to happen now.

The thing that boggles the mind is that the normally meticulous and by all accounts intelligent Sharapova and her team, did not stop using it in time with all the notice given.  She says it was a mistake.  Well, that mistake is going to cost her a bundle.

There may be more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye.  As you know, Tennis (ITF) recently came under heavy criticism in relation to failing to followup on match fixing allegations with a lackadaisical attitude by them and their Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).  Some theorists believe that maybe Maria was sacrificed to steer the attention away from the match fixing issues and the TIU, and try to put the ITF Anti-Doping division in a favorable light by catching a big fish.  Recall that Maria had sunk to #7, has been injured, and may not have played for awhile anyway.

Respectfully,
masterclass