Svi teniski treneri koje sam upoznao, ako sam ih pitao za igrače koji se dopingiraju, spominju Nadala, i to steroide.
Oni medicinski podaci koji su procurili 2016. govore upravo to, da je uzimao zabranjene steoride, ali je dobio odobrenje za njih (therapeutic expception) jer ih je koristio da zaliječi ozlijedu koljena.
It shows two Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) given to Nadal. The Spaniard was given approval for betamethasone, a corticosteroid used for reducing inflammation, in 2009 following the U.S. Open.
He was also approved for the use of corticotrophins in 2012, during the period in which he was sidelined from the tour with another knee injury. The TUE was required because corticotrophins are prohibited for use even when athletes are not competing.
Nadal, speaking to Spanish reporters, confirmed that the documents were authentic, and said he was authorized by anti-doping officials to take the substances during those time periods.
"There are many things which, day to day, are banned substances,” he said, “but when you ask permission and you get it, it stops being illegal … I have never taken anything to improve my sporting performance. Simply, the doctors [told] me to take something to improve my knee.”
Ona francuska ministrica ga je u stvari optužila da je lažirao tu ozljedu koljena kako bi prikrio pozitivan doping test, i to još 2012., četiri godine prije nego li su ovi podaci izašli u javnost. Zanimljiv mi je bio komentar jednog lika, koji je usporedio tu situaciju sa sličnim informacijama koje su procurile u biciklizmu, i gdje je baš bilo velike rasprave o tom slučaju, komentirali su ga i drugi biciklisti i treneri, dok je u tenisu to prošlo dosta nezapaženo.
A što se tiče Agassija, pronašao sam ovo.
The biggest joke was Andre Agassi’s positive test for crystal meth in 1997. The governing body did not take any action because the American great said he had accidently sipped his assistant’s spiked soda.
Later, in his autobiography, released in 2009, Agassi admitted he had lied to the tennis authorities about the accidental ingestion.
Earlier in 2004, when Greg Rusedski tested positive for nandrolone, the same Agassi talked about how the "game is built on sportsmanship, it’s built on respect for the game" and how tennis had "evolved every bit as quickly when it comes to the process of detecting the cheats".
And Agassi said that with a straight face, just like Armstrong on Larry King Live.