"Mutko what was, remained like that"

Following Maria Sharapova, several more Russian athletes are convicted of the forbidden drug Meldonium

A series of loud doping scandals in Russian sports continued on March 8. In the use of forbidden drugs, the champion and record holder of the world in speed skating Pavel Kulizhnikov, Short Trexist, the champion of the Olympiad in Sochi Semen Elistratov and the Russian national volleyball player Alexander Markin were convicted. Messages about this appeared immediately after the Minister of Sports of Russia Vitaly Mutko did not rule out that a number of Russian athletes would be disqualified for the use of Meldonium , included in the list of prohibited from January 1 of this year. On March 7, it became known that there are traces of this drug in samples taken from the tennis player Maria Sharapova and the skater Ekaterina Bobrova.

Sharapova convened a special press conference at which she confirmed that she used Meldonium. Its temporary disqualification begins on March 12. Several advertising contracts concluded with Sharapova with large companies are torn or their action is suspended. At the same time,the creator of Meldonia Ivar Kalvins said that about 2 million people annually use it as a drug and that meldonium is not doping.

On Sunday, the German ARD television channel showed a third part of the documentary about the use of doping in Russian sports. The information contained in the first two parts of the film was the reason for a special investigation, the result of which was the removal of Russian athletes from participation in international competitions. The author of the film journalist Hyo Zeppelt answered questions from Radio Liberty.

- The Minister of Sports of Russia Vitaly Mutko said today that several more Russian athletes will most likely be convicted of the forbidden drug Meldonia, in the use of which Maria Sharapova admitted. Was this statement unexpected for you?

There are clear rules of conduct for athletes, and if you violate them, then you are responsible for this and must be punished

- For me it was not unexpected. Meldonia was said in sufficient detail in the documentary shown by the ARD television channel last Sunday. Since this drug was the subject of a study of the anti -doping agency in Moscow, conducted in 2015. Now this drug is prohibited, but then it was still allowed. And studies have shown that in the blood of more than seven hundred of about four thousand athletes whom the agency checked, traces of Meldonia were discovered. This means that it was found in 17 percent, that is, approximately every fifth or sixth athlete used it. Since January 1, Meldonium has been in the list of prohibited drugs. But I can imagine a situation in which some athletes did not know about it and continued to use it.

Maria Sharapova

- Why was Meldonium forbidden only now? It seems that this is a well -known drug, Sharapova claims to have used it for 10 years. The person who invented it says that this is not doping ...

- This is doping, since Meldonium affects blood cells, accelerates the recovery process. The International Anti -Dopin Agency carefully examined it in 2015 and ultimately decided to include it in the list of prohibited drugs. If any drug artificially increases the athlete’s performance, then it should be prohibited, which was done, in the way I think, is done correctly. True, it’s very late.

-Some of the athletes really could not know that Meldonium was prohibited since January. But Maria Sharapova is a world -class athlete, she earns well. Do you believe her statement that she continued to accept Meldonium this year, because you simply did not read the electronic message that this drug is included in the list of prohibited funds?

- Of course, I can’t talk about it with confidence. But with such a professional entourage that Sharapova has, she cannot but have assistants who should tell her, what can be used and what not. One way or another, if you take something, then you need to check if this drug is prohibited. Sharapova mentioned that Meldonius needed her due to suspicions that she had diabetes. But if so, then you can declare this officially, ask for permission to use the drug for therapeutic purposes and calmly use it. But this was not done. Of course, one can imagine that Sharapova was somewhat naive and therefore made a mistake. But naivety is not an excuse. There are clear rules of behavior for athletes, and if you violate them, then you are responsible for this and must be punished.

- Do you think that Sharapova deserves severe punishment?

Those problems that exist in Russian sports cannot be solved in a few months

- Undoubtedly. This is a completely obvious case of doping. It is clear that Meldonium was used to artificially increase the capabilities of the body. That is, in order to be dishonest to get an advantage during the competition. And precisely because Meldonius has similar properties, it was prohibited. If you disagree with this, then you can go to court and try to prove the opposite. But this is a rather long process. In any case, Sharapova used the forbidden drug. Therefore, it should be disqualified.

- But, on the other hand, Sharapova did not try to refute the accusations against her, openly admitting that she used Meldonium. Mutko also openly admits that one of the Russians will be convicted of doping. Can we talk about progress at least in the behavior of Russian athletes and sports officials?

Hayo Seppelt

- No, I don't think so. After we showed the third part of our film about doping in Russian sports, the accusations again rained down on us that we, for political reasons, try to prevent the cancellation of the ban on the participation of Russian athletes in international competitions. As for the statement of Mutko, it is quite logical that he made it. It is better for him to declare in advance about the possibility of new doping scandals than to wait when in the coming days or weeks it will become known about new cases of Meldonium. This is a logical move on his part. The same Mutko, after showing our film that coaches and doctors who are prohibited now, continue to work with athletes in Russia, began to blame us for the fact that we and German television act for political reasons. Honestly, these accusations are simply ridiculous. So I do not see any changes in the position of Mutko. He was, and he remained.

- Do you think everything that is happening now makes the participation of Russian athletes in the Rio Olympics even less likely?

- Russian athletes should not go to Rio. Systemic problems in Russian sports are too obvious. And it is not only about athletics, but also other sports. And what we have already encountered is just the tip of the iceberg. I want to remind you that the Bulgarian rods are suspended from participating in the Olympics, since the International Warm Athletics Union considered the problems using doping in Bulgaria too serious. But if they did this with the Bulgarian Seedlists, it would be highly dishonest in relation to them to allow the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games, given the scope of the doping problem in Russia. And the International Olympic Committee is obliged to take this into account. The International Athletics Federation should not cancel the disqualification of Russia, since those problems that exist in Russian sports cannot be solved in several months, during this time it is impossible to completely eliminate the system of training athletes through doping. This needs much more time, ”says journalist Hyo Zeppelt .