Translated material
Chronicle
In the doping tests of the three-time winner of the prestigious Tour de France cycling race, Spaniard Alberto Contador, in addition to the banned drug clenbuterol, traces of plastic components were found, similar to those that remain in the body after a blood transfusion from the corresponding bag.
According to the French publication Ekip, this fact may indicate that before passing the doping control, the athlete was given a blood transfusion using the blood transfusion method. Several years ago, this method of blood transfusion in sports was prohibited because it masked the use of prohibited drugs. However, there is one significant “but”. The method for detecting the effects of transfusion, which was used by specialists at the anti-doping laboratory in Cologne (Germany), has not yet been ratified by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It was invented only last year by Barcelona scientist Jordi Sigura and has not been fully tested.
The scandal, in which Contador was at the center, erupted last week. The banned clenbuterol was found in the tests of the titled athlete. As a result, the International Cycling Union suspended Contador from the competition while all the circumstances were clarified. The Spaniard himself categorically denies his guilt and says that the anabolic could have entered his body through poor quality food.
“I have always been a supporter of doping control, and you will not find anyone who would be so relaxed about the procedure of taking tests on a non-competition day. I'm not worried about my results on the tour. I just want everything to be cleared up as soon as possible and my family to stop worrying,” said the 27-year-old athlete.
Let us remind you that a prohibited drug was found in Contador’s urine in negligible quantities. During the doping control procedure, athletes provide urine and, if necessary, blood. The situation with Contador has stirred up the topic of whether it is worth introducing a threshold for the content of prohibited substances. WADA Director General David Howman has been very clear on this matter. “I think we have a great balance. What do you want us to do? Did they expose the deception or introduce a threshold that will allow some to get away with it?” - AP quotes Howman as saying.
Southern won the title in Malaysia
Russian tennis player Mikhail Youzhny (pictured) won the tournament in Malaysia. In the final, the Muscovite beat compatriot Andrei Golubev, competing under the flag of Kazakhstan - 6:7 (7:9), 6:2, 7:6 (7:3).
On the way to the decisive match, Golubev defeated two strong opponents - Swede Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals, and Spaniard David Ferrer in the semifinals. Youzhny defeated Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals and upset another Russian, Igor Andreev, in the next round.
In the decisive match of the competition, after winning the first set in a tiebreaker, Golubev lost the second set and was unable to break his opponent’s resistance at the end of the third. This title was the seventh in Yuzhny’s career and the second this season. This year he celebrated success at a tournament in Munich.
Olympic champion Russian Elena Dementieva lost in the final of the prestigious WTA tennis tournament in Tokyo (Japan) with a prize fund of $2 million to the leader of the championship race, Danish Caroline Wozniacki - 6:1, 2:6, 3:6. For Dementieva, this final was the first since February of this year. Wozniacki has already won five world titles this season.
In 2006, Dementieva won the tournament in Tokyo, which, however, was held on a different date. But this time she could not repeat the winning double, although after a brilliantly won first game, it seemed that she had all the trump cards in her hands. Wozniacki turned the tide of the match, completely seizing the initiative in the decisive game.
For both tennis players, the tournament in Tokyo was of fundamental importance. For Dementieva - from the point of view of getting to the final tournament in Doha. For Wozniacki - promotion to the tennis Olympus. If Carolina manages to reach the quarterfinals of the next tournament in Beijing, she will become the first racket of the world. As for the final championship, the Dane has already booked her ticket to Doha.
And finally, at the tournament in Bangkok, the world ranking leader, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, suffered a sensational defeat. In the semi-finals he lost to compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez - 6:2, 6:7 (3:7), 3:6. The meeting lasted almost three hours. 27-year-old Guillermo made ten aces, fought off 24 out of 26 break points and was able to convert his only chance on the serve of his famous opponent. As a result, the Spaniard won the tournament, defeating the Finn Jarko Nieminen in the decisive duel - 6:4, 3:6, 6:4.
Brudov failed to take the WBA title
Russian professional boxer Valery Brudov failed to win the WBA world champion title, one of the most prestigious organizations in this sport. Brudov, who competes in the cruiserweight division, lost to ring owner Guillermo “The Cat” Jones in Panama.
A week before the fight, Brudov signed a contract with the legendary boxing promoter American Don King. Alas, the beginning of this cooperation did not bring sporting success to our compatriot. In the 11th round of the title fight, the referee in the ring stopped the fight due to a deep cut in the Russian’s eyebrows.
Russians won the Chess Olympiad
The Russian women's team became the winner of the World Chess Olympiad that ended yesterday in Khanty-Mansiysk. Together, sisters Tatyana and Nadezhda Kosintsev, Alexandra Kostenyuk, Alisa Gallyamova and Valentina Gunina scored 22 team points out of 22 possible - victories in all 11 rounds. The Chinese are in second place (18 points), Georgia has bronze - 16 points, with better additional indicators than those of Cuba, the USA, Poland, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria, who have the same result. In the men's tournament, Ukraine took the lead (Vasily Ivanchuk, Ruslan Ponomarev, Pavel Elkhanov, Zakhar Efimenko, Alexander Moiseenko) - 19 points. In second position is Russia (Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karyakin, Vladimir Malakhov) - 18 points. “Bronze” for Israeli chess players.