Jannik Sinner case ‘a million miles away from doping’, claims Wada official
Jannik Sinner’s recent case resulting in a three-month ban was “a million miles away from doping” according to a senior official at the World Anti-Doping Agency,Sinner tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol last year which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy,The men’s world No 1 was initially cleared by an independent tribunal after being provisionally suspended, however Wada had appealed against that decision to the court of arbitration for sport,On Saturday it was confirmed that a deal had been reached which would see Sinner banned from 9 February to 4 May, with Wada accepting the Italian player had not deliberately cheated,“This was a case that was a million miles away from doping,” the Wada general counsel, Ross Wenzel, told BBC Sport.
“The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.“When we look at these cases we try to look at them technically, operationally and we don’t do it with fear of what the public and the politicians or anyone is going to say.”This decision has drawn criticism.The 24-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic said: “A majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also in the last few months, are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled.“A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening.
It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers.”The former British No 1 Tim Henman said the ban was “too convenient” and warned it would leave fans with a “pretty sour taste”.“When you’re dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it’s binary, it’s positive or negative, you’re banned or you’re not banned.”As Henman inferred, the timing of the ban has also been a point of contention, with suggestions that it minimises the impact on the Italian’s career.Sinner, who defended his Australian Open title last month, will be able to play at the Italian Open, his home tournament, as it begins three days after his ban ends.
This would afford him the opportunity to compete in a clay-court event prior to the French Open.However, Wenzel added: “Once you’ve reached an agreement, what you can’t do is then say: ‘Oh, but we’re going to have this apply from two months in the future for a period of three months.’ It must come into effect quickly.Of course, once the deal is done, it’s important that it is executed and that it is made public for reasons of transparency.“The sanctions that we impose and the code even says this, they’re blind to the calendar.
The correct sanction should be imposed and it comes into effect when it comes into effect and it shouldn’t be modulated or modified to take into account whether the events that are coming up are significant or not significant.”
Too long, didn’t remember: NBA stars that time (and the internet) forgot
We look back at seven ex-NBA stars who contributed a great deal to the league, but whose stories also risk being lost to time thanks to vanishing modern attention spansHave you ever opened up a social media page with a clear intention of what you’re doing and then instantly become distracted? You end up fiddling around and then closing the page and realizing you didn’t even do what you’d originally logged on for? Yes, the internet is a place full of distractions. TikTok, Instagram, whatever Twitter (X) is? It’s hard to remember what you had for breakfast some days. The same, of course, goes for NBA history.If you go online today to read about basketball, it can seem like the league or the sport itself was created in the 21st century. That anything before Kobe Bryant never actually existed
AFL fans expected to fork out as Saturday live coverage goes behind paywall in 2025
The head of Foxtel says AFL fans will “run towards the light” this season and subscribe to its pay TV service or sports streaming platform Kayo when they realise much of the season’s live Saturday coverage has gone behind a paywall.A new AFL broadcast agreement with Fox Sports and Channel Seven kicks in this season. Kayo Sports or Foxtel will required to watch live AFL on a Saturday in Victoria and Tasmania for every round of the home-and-away season, and nationally for the first eight rounds.Patrick Delany believes Australians “see as normal paying for content these days” and the new exclusive live Saturday AFL matches on the pay-TV provider will be enough convince them to sign up with a subscription platform.“Sport is nothing unless it’s live
NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving wants to play for Australia but red tape presents obstacle
His basketball skills have embarrassed the world’s best defences, but Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving faces imposing regulation, resistance and red tape before he will be allowed to represent Australia in international competition.The former USA point guard revealed at the NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco over the weekend he is exploring how to switch allegiances to the country of his birth.“We’re in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out what’s going to be the best route for me to be eligible,” he said.Irving was born in Melbourne in 1992 when his father Drederick was an import for the Bulleen Bullets in the South East Australian Basketball League. The family stayed until their son was two, before returning to the US
Joseph Parker: ‘This will mean something different. I’m doing it for myself now’
New Zealand fighter has appreciated spending time with his family as he prepares to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF world heavyweight titleThere’s nothing quite like watching Joe Parker lip-syncing to Take That to lift the mood in the back of an Uber on a drizzly morning in Dublin. The dangerous threat Parker faces against another big-hitting monster of the ring in Daniel Dubois, in Riyadh on Saturday night, fades with the laughter.Even the depressing reality that boxing will continue to ignore human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, as Parker’s intriguing bout with Dubois headlines an outstanding bill bankrolled by the country’s General Entertainment Authority, can’t erode the wit and charm of the New Zealand heavyweight channelling his inner Gary Barlow.It’s a long drive from the heart of Dublin to the Ballybrack Boxing Club, where Parker has prepared for Dubois, and so I watch the video the fighter made last April. In December 2023 Parker had outclassed Deontay Wilder, a knockout merchant expected to crush him, and he was looking for a new opponent
England exposed to video nasties in bid to end losing streak in Calcutta Cup
England players have been shown Calcutta Cup video nasties for extra motivation as they bid to end a miserable run against Scotland on Saturday.Steve Borthwick’s side will seek a first win against the auld enemy in five years buoyed by their one-point victory against France last time out. But the head coach is waiting on the second-rower George Martin, who was not part of full training on Monday because of discomfort in his knee.Scotland are the only Six Nations team England have yet to beat under Borthwick after they clinched a 29-23 victory in the head coach’s first match in charge in 2023 before prevailing 30-21 at Murrayfield last year.Tom Curry said there had been an “edginess” to training this week as England seek a win that would keep their Six Nations title hopes alive, and his fellow back‑rower Ben Earl explained how the squad have been shown video clips as they bid to stop Scotland’s four-match winning run
Henderson seeks Cheltenham redemption with star turns after 2024 blank
Forty years on from his first Cheltenham festival success, with See You Then in the 1985 Champion Hurdle, Nicky Henderson is still at the peak of his profession – and still taking nothing for granted.“The only time I’ve ever been confident about anything was Altior’s Supreme [Novice Hurdle in 2016],” Henderson said on Monday. “It didn’t matter what Willie [Mullins] brought over that year, he wasn’t going to beat him.“But we always have said, you’d settle for one [winner at the Cheltenham festival]. If you have one on the first day then you get the bit between your teeth and you can say, OK, let’s kick on
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