I warned about bureaucracy. Just today. Now look what happened. (Zack over at The Big Picture also posted this)
Found here at Fox, a story out of France says a women's wheelchair athlete, Meliha Karic, was suspended from the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Wheelchair Tennis tour for 2 years.
LONDON (AP) - Wheelchair tennis player Meliha Karic was banned for two years Thursday for testing positive for a banned stimulant.
The International Tennis Federation said the 27-year-old Frenchwoman tested positive at the British Open wheelchair championships in Nottingham, England, on July 25 for adrafinil or modafinil metabolite.
The ITF said Karic had taken the substance in medication and not to enhance performance, but suspended her because she failed to take "personal responsibility" to ensure the ingredients were allowed under anti-doping rules.
Karic is 34th in the wheelchair world rankings. Her suspension is backdated from July 25 and ends on July 24, 2008. She has three weeks to appeal.
Steroid Nation is reading that to say 'she didn't fill out the forms on time'.
Modafinil (Provigil) is used for narcolepsy. It might be helpful for ADHD, but not totally tested. Modafinil is not going to pack on muscle like Winnie.
Why is modafinil on the prohibited list? Thank Victor Conte, is what SN thinks.
When modafinil came out, it was researched and approved for narcolepsy. Other drugs like it include methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). Those are FDA controlled substances which sometimes are abused for their stimulating, 'anti-ADHD', and motor-coordination enhancing properties. Victor Conte picked up on this new medication, must have postulated that it can have CNS stimulation as a property,then added to his pharmacological arsenal. Reputed (r) or proven (p) users include Calvin Harrison(p), Kevin Toth(p), Sandra Glover(p), Eric Thomas(p), Chryste Gaines (p) Barry Bonds (r), and Kelly White (p).
Kelly White(track) took modafinil when it was thought to be 'clear',that is without a lab test. However, there was a lab test; her urine was positive for the substance. Conte then had a physician write a note for White saying she took modafinil for narcolepsy, after-the-fact. White later confessed to the episode.
Is modafinil 'performance-enhancing'? Possibly, however that is not scientifically proven.
Modafinil is on the WADA banned list. The ITF adheres to WADA regulations, including getting a physician's letter about prescribed drugs on the prohibited list. The ITF regs consider it the athlete's responsibility to inform them about such drugs.
Let's have some sanity about this. First, Steroid Nation commends any wheelchair athlete. Second, modafinil apparently was prescribed to her. Could it be doping or cheating? Not under these circumstances.
Steroid Nation believes this is over-reacting. If she didn't fill out the medical form, or wasn't aware modafinil is on the banned list, and she can prove she had a legitimate prescription for it, give her a 50.00 fine and move on. Obsessive adherence to regulation in Ms. Karic's case isn't going to prevent doping in sport. It is going to prevent what appears to be a fine person from courageously trying to participate in a sport, even under difficult circumstances. And it may generate animosity toward anti-doping efforts.
We are going to email the Wheelchair Tennis asking them to reconsider her ban:
Others may consider an email too.
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