Marin Cilic cited injury at Wimbledon to hide failed dope test
Marin Cilic cited a knee injury at Wimbledon this year to hide the fact he had failed a dope test, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has revealed.
|Last Updated: Sep 25, 2013, 08:30 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Marin Cilic cited a knee injury at Wimbledon this year to hide the fact he had failed a dope test, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has revealed after handing the Croatian a nine-month suspension.
The former world number nine, banned last week after testing positive for the banned stimulant nikethamide, has said he never knowingly took any prohibited substance and plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The ITF, in a full decision of its independent anti-doping tribunal published on its website (www.itftennis.com), said the player was charged with a doping offence in a letter dated June 10 after a positive result in Munich on May 1.
Cilic received the letter on June 11 in London before his first match at the Queen`s Club pre-Wimbledon tournament.
The Croat lost the final at Queen`s to Andy Murray and, after instructing lawyers, played and won his first-round match at Wimbledon on June 24.
"On 26 June his lawyers in Brussels responded on his behalf, voluntarily accepting a provisional suspension until a decision in the case, and waiving his right to analysis of the B sample," the ITF decision said.
"He withdrew from Wimbledon, citing a knee injury to avoid adverse publicity."
A spokesman for the ITF said Cilic had been within his rights to cite an injury for his withdrawal from Wimbledon and that, under its own anti-doping rules, the ITF were not allowed to make the real reason public at the time.
The full findings of the case revealed that Cilic had asked his mother Koviljka to buy glucose powder from a pharmacy in Monte Carlo because he had run out of his usual supply which he took to help his body ingest the legal supplement creatine.
The tribunal heard that a leaflet inside the packet of Coramine glucose tablets she bought, printed in French, contained a warning that they could lead to a positive test.
"Anyone reading the side of the packet or the leaflet, even with only a very limited knowledge of French, would easily have identified the danger for an athlete with anti-doping responsibilities," the findings stated, adding that a quick internet search would have confirmed that Coramine is nikethamide and would result in a positive test.
However, it accepted that Cilic had inadvertently ingested nikethamide and "did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so". The tribunal also heard that Cilic claimed to be under stress at the time of taking the tablets because his parents and his coach were not getting on well.
The tribunal said the offence was "not at the most serious end of the scale" but still warranted a nine-month ban.
When Cilic withdrew from Wimbledon, on a day marked by a spate of injuries which raised concerns about the safety of the grasscourts, he was quoted as saying it was "a very black day".
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.