Your view: Belgian bans were harsh

Eurosport - Wed, 11 Nov 18:33:00 2009

Eurosport-Yahoo! readers believe that the one-year bans handed to Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer for missing drug tests were harsh.

Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium celebrates winning a point against Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine during their match at the US Open in New York REUTERS - 0

The early responses were divided, but the majority of you have supported Wickmayer (pictured) and Malisse in their battle against the Belgian National Anti-Doping Agency after the Flemish Doping Tribunal found the pair guilty of falling foul of the controversial "whereabouts rule".

Malisse, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist now ranked 95th, was in tears at the news conference in the northern Belgian city of Antwerp, and said he thought the suspension meant his career was now over. He missed a test and twice failed to specify where he could be reached.

Wickmayer, a semi-finalist at this year's US Open and world number 18, quit Bali's Tournament of Champions and left the resort island after receiving the ban and admitted that she is considering an appeal, which is possible only at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

We asked: Did Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer deserve their one-year bans for missing drug tests?

You voted:

Yes: 34 per cent

No: 66 per cent

1790 votes (at 9am UK time on Thursday November 12)

What you have been saying:

Andrew Broad: It is ridiculous. If they are going to treat tennis players as criminals, why not fit them with electronic tags? And to ban Yanina in the middle of the Bali season-ending championships is utterly classless and cruel.

Con: The rules have become ridiculous. What next - fitting all the players with micro chips to monitor their every step?

Ican79: In the cases of Yanina and Xavier, they simply failed to report their whereabouts. They did not fail any drug tests, so people should differentiate between failing to report where you are, and failing a drugs test.

Honeybeecro7: According to some reports this is the third time that Wickmayer has failed to notify authorities about where she is going to be. Although players write down three months in advance where they are going to be, they can inform with a text, email or phone call in case something changes. A year ban might be too harsh - I think they should make her take a drugs test and if it is negative then maybe give her a fine and the money could go to charity. But Gasquet was only out of tennis for a few months after failing a drugs test and Wickmayer gets a ban for a year which seems very odd to me.

Dianabc44: I cannot understand how they can say where they will be for one hour every day for three months in advance. After all, if they are playing in a tournament during that time - and on average I would think they play at least three or four tournaments during a three-month period - and they give the tournament venue. What happens if they are knocked out in the first round? Are they supposed to hang around for the rest of the week, or can they move on to the next venue or go home?

Swordtail17: These are the rules so the pair of them must live with the punishments implemented to enforce them. I think the ruling is absolutely right.

Lux_lux: A one-year ban seems overly harsh to me - it seems like they only get suspended for a couple of months if they actually do not pass a drug test. That cannot be right. I do not understand how the pair were given such long bans for simply failing to say where they could be reached.

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 9 of 9

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. I tire of reading the nonsense from contributors who­ should know better but seem to think drug testing is­ only about catching performance enhancing cheats.­ I've got news for you, it ain't and it aint­ ever going to be again. So get with the programme, you­ want to be a professional athlete, you follow the code­ of your profession, end of. Much wiser and cleverer­ professionals have dedicated a lifetime to this issue­ and this is the formula they have arrived at. Those who­ keep trying to differentiate between drugs are being­ intellectually dishonest or are incapable of thinking­ it through in all its ramifications. Drugs are either­ performance enhancing or they are performance­ inhibiting, neither should be tolerated in today's­ world. No one is stopping you enjoying your spliff or­ your line or whatever but if you want to be a­ professional athlete, you live by the code and comply­ with whatever rules have been universally adopted by­ international sporting bodies. That is how tough it is­ in my profession. I abide by it or I go and find­ another livelihood. Enough nonsense about this issue.

    From sanchez.santos, on Thu 12 Nov 5:18PM

  2. A rather simplistic attitude if you don't mind my­ saying Mia. That suggests that any player who breaks a­ rule should be banned for a year. Does that mean that­ Nadal should be banned for a year when he takes more­ than 20 seconds between points? Should Del Potro be­ banned for a year for getting the nod from his coach­ before he calls for a hawkeye challenge? Both are­ breaking the rules.

    The question is whether Wickayer­ and Malisse deserved a year ban for such a­ transgression. I would say not. Players commit far­ worse offences and get off with a small fine.

    From Bobito, on Thu 12 Nov 4:55PM

  3. Not agree. Other players follow the rules, if Belgiums­­ don't want to follow - they out. They just openly­­ went against the system. Result: ban.

    From Mia, on Thu 12 Nov 4:08PM

  4. Banning players to earn a living is crass. Fine them­ if need be. Give them a written warning that if they­ fail to comply with drug testing policy then a ban­ should be put in place. Not one year as it has been­ meted out to the players. You do not deprive anyone to­ earn a living.

    Why you need to let the authority­ everyday of the week your whereabouts. Isn't­ weekly test be suffient. I believe if players are into­ drugs, there is always a trace of the substance when­ blood sample is taken within a week sometimes more. ­ Why daily?!!!

    fred

    From Fred C, on Thu 12 Nov 1:57PM

  5. "Nadal has a problem too with this rule. I read­ once­ (correct me if i am wrong), in 2007, Nadal­ refused to­ report where he was. Actually, He attended­ a funeral of­ relative and there was a call of tennis­ authorities­ that he had to report his whereabout. of­ course he was­ so upset and refused to do so. He said:­ I am an­ athlete, not a criminal. And then, Andy Murray­ was in­ holiday at his mother. He complained that He­ got a call­ around 6am (in the morning) from Tennis­ authorities to­ report his whereabout. Nadal and Murray­ said, IF THEY­ KNOW AND CAN CALL ME, WHY SHOULD I­ REPORT THEM WHERE I­ AM. Even in a very private matter,­ Tennis players can­ not be let alone. So, can you­ imagine, in the middle of­ a Funeral of relative, or­ even when you are with your­ mother, you still should­ report yourself. no escape.­ what a great rule.

    in­ case of Yanina (and Malisse),­ she just fails to report­ her whereabouts. She does not­ fail any drug test,­ neither Malisse. People should­ differentiate between­ fail to report and fail any drug­ test.
    From Ican79, on­ Sat 7 Nov 11:18AM"

    From 123, on Thu 12 Nov 1:16PM

  6. The ban was a bizarre decision, given that the­ prosecution did not even ask for one at the tribunal.­ I'll be surprised if it isn't overturned on­ appeal.

    From Bobito, on Thu 12 Nov 1:15PM

  7. In one sense it is harsh because it not like she­ actually failed a test she failed to let them know­ where she was and as busy as tennis players are and as­ young as she is she may well ahve forgotten, on the­ other hands these are the rules that are in place, she­ never forget to go and play her matches at the time she­ is slated to play so why forget to let them know where­ you are. It is her career and has to look after it and­ it is her resonsibility to know these things are for­ the people around her to jog her memory. Its a harsh­ lesson to learn but maybe one that she needs to learn­ and otehr need to learn from that this impossed­ regualtion is here to stay and the consequenses for not­ letting them know where you are is and will be a high­ price to pay. I do feel sorry for her because she was­ making that big jump in her game and making herself­ known and all of that has come tumbling down sad really

    From janice m, on Thu 12 Nov 12:46PM

  8. i agree mia, if they dont like the rules then they­ should find another career

    From ajpbolton, on Thu 12 Nov 12:40PM

  9. Not agree. Other players follow the rules, if Belgiums­ don't want to follow - they out. They just openly­ went against the system. Result: ban.

    From Mia, on Thu 12 Nov 12:27PM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account