| A box of meldonium tablets, also known as mildronate, is photographed in Moscow, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova says she failed a drug test for meldonium at the Australian Open. Photo: AP |
LONDON — The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has recorded 99 positive tests for the recently-banned drug at the centre of the case involving five-times grand slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova,
it said on Friday (March 11).
WADA did not name the athletes who tested positive for meldonium, which has been linked to increased athletic performance, but said they came from different sports and were reported by many national anti-doping organisations.
“We can confirm that since 1 January 2016 when the substance Meldonium became banned, there have been 99 adverse analytical findings for Meldonium recorded,” WADA spokesman Ben Nichols said in an email to Reuters.
“These cases were analysed by a number of different WADA-accredited laboratories and reported by many different NADOs and international sport federations.”
Meldonium, which is manufactured for people with heart problems, was added to WADA’s list of banned substances on Jan. 1 and can improve exercise capacity.
Russian tennis star Sharapova stunned the sport world earlier this week when she said she tested positive at January’s Australian Open for meldonium, a substance she admitted to taking since 2006 for health reasons. REUTERS
