ATP respond to Rusedski claims
The ATP tonight responded to Greg Rusedski’s claim that he had been ‘singled out’ following his positive test for nandrolone.
Rusedski revealed on Thursday he had tested positive for nandrolone at a tournament in Indianapolis last July.
The British number two’s defence centres around the case of Czech player Bohdan Ulihrach, who was initially found guilty of using nandrolone and banned for two years, but won an appeal when it emerged that ATP trainers had been giving players mineral supplements, electrolytes and other supplements.
They were thought to be the cause of the positive tests and trainers were told to stop supplying such products.
However, Rusedski’s subsequent test has shown the same ‘analytical footprint’ as the other findings and led to his claim of being singled out in what he calls “one of the biggest scandals in world sport.”
In a statement released to the Press Association, the ATP tonight said: “The ATP, by its governing rules, cannot comment on pending doping investigations regarding ATP players.
“The ATP announced on July 9, 2003 that during the period between August 2002 and May 2003, IOC-accredited laboratories in Montreal, Lausanne and Stockholm processed an unprecedented number of samples of ATP players registering trace amounts of the steroid nandrolone or one of its prohibited 19-nor precursors.
“These test results included a unique analytical fingerprint in the samples, suggesting a common source of nandrolone contamination.
“The ATP conducted an investigation led by Richard Young, a respected anti-doping expert.
“While the investigation has not definitely determined the source of the players’ contamination, it was unable to exclude the possibility that the contamination may have been an electrolyte supplement that the ATP’s trainers provided to players.
“Since the ATP trainers stopped distributing vitamin and nutritional products in May 2003, the presence of nandrolone in test results has largely halted.
“In the past eight months, the IOC-accredited laboratories testing for the ATP have reported four samples with the presence of nandrolone containing the same analytical fingerprint as the previous test results.
“Three of these samples were below the threshold for positive nandrolone samples (2.0 ng/ml). The presence of the same analytical fingerprint may suggest a common source of contamination.
“Because no definitive source of the contamination has been found, the ATP has continued its efforts to identify the source. These efforts include the testing for contamination of additional vitamin and nutritional products that are commonly used by athletes.
“Since May 2003, the ATP has strengthened its procedures to guard against the risk of contamination, including halting the distribution of all vitamin and nutritional products to its players, and significantly enhancing its player education program regarding the dangers of supplements and the risk of inadvertent contamination.
“The ATP is continuing its efforts to warn players regarding the risk of contamination of health products and the players’ responsibilities under the rules of the sport for the presence of any prohibited substances in their bodies.
“The ATP also will enforce the rules of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program, including enforcement of any penalties assessed against a player found by an independent anti-doping tribunal to have committed a doping offence.”
