シナーの件は「ドーピングにはほど遠い」 ＷＡＤＡが批判に反論

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】男子テニス世界ランキング１位のヤニック・シナー（イタリア）が、薬物検査で陽性反応を示して３か月の出場停止処分を受けたことについて、世界反ドーピング機関（ＷＡＤＡ）の担当者は１８日、この件は「ドーピングとはほど遠い」と話し、処分が軽すぎるなどの批判に反論した。（写真は男子テニスのヤニック・シナー）
　シナーは昨年３月に禁止物質のクロステボールの陽性反応が２度検出されたことにつながったチームのミスについて「部分的な責任」を認め、処分を受け入れた。
　シナーは担当の理学療法士が切り傷を治療するためにクロステボールを含んだスプレーを使用し、その後で自身にマッサージとスポーツセラピーを行ったことで、物質が体内に混入したと主張した。
　テニスの不正監視団体ＩＴＩＡは当初、シナーの説明を支持して処分を科さなかったが、ＷＡＤＡがこれを不服としてスポーツ仲裁裁判所（ＣＡＳ）に提訴し、シナーは一時２年間の出場停止の可能性に直面していた。
　最終的にシナーが３か月の処分で合意し、意図的な違反ではなかったと認めたＷＡＤＡが訴えを取り下げたことでこの問題は終結したが、ノバク・ジョコビッチ（セルビア）ら現役選手や元選手は裁定やシステムに疑問を呈している。
　しかしＷＡＤＡの法務担当であるロス・ベンツェル氏は、この制裁が「適切な」レベルだと考えている。
　「これはドーピングとはほど遠いケースだ」とＢＢＣスポーツに語ったベンツェル氏は、「われわれが受け取った科学的フィードバックによれば、この件が意図的なドーピングという可能性はない」と述べた。
　「制裁が重すぎると考える人たちからのメッセージは届いている。選手にとって不公平だと声も、（処分が）十分ではないという声もあり、全員が納得しているわけではないのかもしれない。しかしそれはある意味で、処分のレベルが適切だったということを示唆しているかもいれない」
　「こうした件は専門的、実務的に検討しており、市民や政治家の反応を気にして判断しているわけではない」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/02/19-18:19）

Jannik Sinner's three-month ban for a pair of positive drug tests has been defended by the World Anti-Doping Agency after claims the world number one's punishment was too lenient.
Sinner's long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after the tennis star agreed to the ban, admitting partial responsibility for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.
The Italian was facing a potential ban of two years after WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
But WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner over his three-month ban after accepting the 23-year-old was inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist.
Sinner said that the banned substance entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.
The sanction has been questioned and criticised by current and former players including Novak Djokovic.
However, WADA's general counsel Ross Wenzel believes the sanction level was in the right place for what had occurred.
This was a case that was a million miles away from doping, he told BBC Sport on Tuesday.
The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.
WADA has received messages from those that consider that the sanction was too high and, in some respects, if you have some saying this is unfair on the athlete, and others saying it's not enough, maybe it's an indication that although it's not going to be popular with everyone, maybe it's an indication that it was in the right place.
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.
- 'Favouritism happening' -
In another high-profile case last year, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine.
In contrast, the recently retired Simona Halep, a former world number one, was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug roxadustat.
She argued it was the result of a tainted supplement and successfully appealed to CAS, which reduced her suspension to nine months.
Speaking at the Qatar Open on Monday, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said many players were unhappy with the way the cases had been handled.
There's a majority of the players that I've talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled, the former world number one said.
A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening.
It seems like, it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers.
Sinner's suspension runs from February 9 to May 4, leaving him clear to play in the rest of this year's Grand Slams, starting with the French Open.
He has not played competitively since defeating Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final in January.
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', Wenzel said.
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.