Sharapova falls in drug test and says, "I can not blame anyone"

Tennis player announced that was spotted by Meldonium substance at the Australian Open: "I take full responsibility." ITF announces provisional suspension on 12

I take full responsibility. It is important to say that the substance was not on the banned list until last year. I took legally for the past ten years. In January, the rules have changed, and the substance was banned and I did not know. It's my body, that's what I put into it. I can not blame anyone who is training me - said Sharapova, also telling that he had received in December the new list of prohibited substances, but not looked.

Organizing the Grand Slams, ITF explained the case in a statement. The sample in which Sharapova was caught on doping was collected on 26 January. The tennis was notified on 2 March and admitted the presence of the banned substance. The organization announced that Russia will be provisionally suspended on 12 March to the case definition. The maximum penalty is four years.

Also in a statement, Wada said, "to protect the integrity of the case," it will not manifest until a final decision of the ITF. Once that happens, the organization pledged to analyze the verdict and decide whether or not to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Sharapova said she took the Mildronate medicine containing the substance Meldonium since 2006 to treat a magnesium deficiency and prevent diabetes. Until last year, the substance was permitted by Wada.

- I started taking this drug in 2006. I had some health problems at the time, was sick all the time, my body was flawed in magnesium, there is a history of diabetes in the family and there were signs of diabetes. That was one of the drugs, along with many others, I was taking.

In 2015, Wada included Meldonium the watch list to determine the effects on performance and the amount of athletes who used. He entered the list of prohibited substances in 2016 as a "metabolic modulator," because "the use of athletes to improve performance," according to Wada. However, the organization had published since September last year the updated list of banned substances would be effective from January this year. In general, Meldonium is used to treat diseases such as ischemia, which arises from the lack of blood circulation in the body.