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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Maria Sharapova has been banned from competition for two years [bbc.co.uk] following a drug test that came back positive for meldonium:

Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug. The Russian was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open. The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.

The five-time Grand Slam winner said she "cannot accept" the "unfairly harsh" ban - and will appeal. Sharapova will challenge the suspension, which is backdated to 26 January 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

In a statement [facebook.com], she said the tribunal concluded her offence was "unintentional" and that she had not tried to use a "performance-enhancing substance". But she claimed the ITF had asked the tribunal to impose a four-year ban, adding it "spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules".

What is meldonium? [bbc.co.uk]

Previously: Maria Sharapova Admits Failed Drug Test at Australian Open [soylentnews.org]

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