The tennis world number one Sinner will not be banned despite positive tests in March. For doping expert Sörgel, this is a big mistake. And Sinner’s statements are an excuse.
Doping expert Fritz Sörgel has criticized the acquittal of world number one tennis player Jannik Sinner after his positive test for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. “If someone tests positive for clostebol, they are automatically banned. The order of action after a positive test that is questioned is to go to the National Anti-Doping Agency, to WADA, to CAS. So why can Sinner be acquitted by a court?” said Sörgel in an interview with the portal “Sport1”.
The matter has a strange aftertaste for him “in any case”: “It stinks to high heaven.” If the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) does not take action in such cases or the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) does not make clear judgments, “and as in recent years, acquits based on similar excuses, then it will continue like this. Now a clear line must be drawn,” demanded Sörgel: “Clostebol automatically leads to a two to four year ban. There is no way around it.” WADA must now intervene.
This happened
World number one Sinner tested positive twice in March for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol, as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) announced on Tuesday. Sinner will not be banned because an independent tribunal of the private sector arbitration body Sports Resolutions found that the 23-year-old had been exposed to the anabolic steroid by a physiotherapist.
Expert: This method of excuse is being used more and more often
Sinner explained in a statement that the carer had used a spray containing clostebol, which is available over the counter in Italy, to treat a cut on his finger. Sinner also had open wounds on his body, which is how the contamination occurred. “An anabolic steroid spray for wound treatment – ridiculous. When it comes to a wound, other substances such as antibiotics are more important. I suspect that this spray is being sold specifically for high-performance sport through unofficial channels and on the Internet,” said Sörgel. Sprays and ointments containing clostebol are not approved in Germany.
“Even if he massages him every day, I think it is very unlikely that the clostebol penetrates the skin in such quantities that it is detected in the doping test,” said Sörgel. “This method of claiming that it is absorbed through the skin has been increasingly used recently. And this is another case.” Products containing clostebol in certain concentrations “do have a doping effect,” said the expert.
Source: Stern
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