Entire Russian U-18 team replaced due to positive drug tests
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German Rubtsov, probably a top-20 pick, along with all the other draft eligible prospects (Ivan Kovalev, Dmitry Alexeev, Mikhail Maltsev) won't play at the worlds. They send basically a 16 years old players.
More than 30 Russian sportsmen like Sharapova were suspended for using meldonium. And now the entire hockey team was tested positive.
kp61c
Registered User
I'm no expert in medicine but it's popular not only among athlets in Russia. Regular people take it if they're chronically tired. Originally it's a cardiac medicine. I heard that since Cherepanov's tragedy it was one of the crucial part of medical treatment in russian hockey. "Enhancing performance" part of it is hugely exaggerated by western media.
Fantomas
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- Aug 7, 2012
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Shocking. Terrible for this tournament and it certainly raises questions as to how it will effect the rest of Russian hockey in the near future.
I'm curious though, why are the players being replaced with '99 born players? Is the scandal so pervasive that they simply can't field a team of '98 born players? If it's that bad, how can the younger players be guaranteed not to face the same issue?
I'm curious though, why are the players being replaced with '99 born players? Is the scandal so pervasive that they simply can't field a team of '98 born players? If it's that bad, how can the younger players be guaranteed not to face the same issue?
Juve
Registered User
I wonder the same thing too. How "Performance Enhancing" can this drug be? I highly doubt it makes a huge difference.
Fantomas
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No Fun Shogun
34-38-61-10-13-15
Fantomas
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Could be unsanctioned use too, although it is still the team's responsibility to manage this.
Juve
Registered User
Wasn't Backstrom's over the counter allergy medicine banned too? Even Theodore was taking Percipia and that was an anti-balding medication. Not all banned substances are bad. Some of them are even funny as to why there are banned.
You mean by athletes themselves without doctor's permission? Highly doubt that.
But yeah, no matter what it's all on coaches and team doctors.
Well, I guess it helps you with endurance and it maybe makes your body work more than it's supposed to be but in team sports like hockey I don't think it makes a huge difference.
VictorLustig
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2012
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Meldonium is definitely a performance enhancing drug and should be banned. Exactly how much it increases the performance of an athlete is not known. Asthma medicines are for people with asthma, elite cross country skiers very often develop asthma, especially in colder countries. It is used by elite skiers from everywhere.
Meldonium is sometimes used to treat people with alzheimer and parkinsons disease. It also has a positive effect on heart muscle metabolism. There are also studies suggesting it effects the central nervous system causing increased alertness and learning ability.
This is not a substance that should be found in healthy 17-18 year olds and definitely in an entire team.
Caser
Moderator
- May 21, 2013
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I'll just copy my post from another thread:
I have taken meldonium when I was an 11 year old kid, but now I'm 28 and still didn't make it even on pro level, does the guarantee applies here or should I just wait a bit longer?
About the whole thing, it is hard to tell anything with no official information available yet. I mean, just yesterday they had a last friendly game and now such news arrive. If it is true, then it means either:
a) Team doctors are total ****** and gave it after it was banned.
b) Meldonium stays in blood longer than everyone thought (I've read that only currently they are doing the research to find that out), which leads to a conclusion that team doctors are total ******, as they should've known what's going on in kids blood sooner than just couple of days before WJC.
Caser
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- May 21, 2013
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Exactly. Well I guess next one is asprin. What about painkillers? They enhance performance in terms of that without them athletes wouldn't be able to play through injuries. And it's dangerous for human body too.
I have asthma and I can assure you that no one with this disease (in its serious form) can compete on professional level without several asthma attacks during a ski race.
But I agree, if it's already banned than it's entirely your problem.
Blackhawkswincup
RIP Fugu
Bear12Good
Registered User
This story isn't even officially confirmed yet. So no one so far. I guess they still discuss who will be a scapegoat. I bet on Prokhorov.
The biggest question with meldonium is how long you need to take it out of your system.
This just show how badly Wada can handle things. They ban a medicine which is fine, but they don't bother to study how long it stays in athlete's body. There is over 200 positive results after Jan 1. [mod]
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