Russian Skater Maria Sotskova: Disqualified for 10 Years

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Russian Skater Maria Sotskova: Disqualified for 10 Years Sept 19, 2020 20:38:09 GMT

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Post by Admin on Sept 19, 2020 20:38:09 GMT

Russian figure skater Maria Sotskova reached out to fans on her Instagram page .

The athlete thanked the fans for their support. The Russian woman did not elaborate on other details.

On Thursday, September 18, the disciplinary committee of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) announced that Sotskova had submitted a fake document as an excuse for skipping doping tests. She has not been tested three times since 2019 during the out-of-competition period. It is noted that a prohibited substance was found in one of the tests of the athlete.

Sotskova - silver medalist of the Grand Prix finals of the 2017/2018 season. At the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, she took eighth place. She also has silver and bronze medals of the Russian championships. In July, the skater announced her retirement.

In 2019, Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko was suspended from the competition for two years due to missing doping tests. The athlete provided fake documents that allegedly confirmed her illness during the tests.

Russian figure skater Maria Sotskova has received a 10-year suspension for falsifying a medical document to explain three missed doping tests and the presence of a prohibited substance in her body.
Russia’s anti-doping agency (RUSADA) disqualified the skater, who provided a forged medical document in an attempt to explain why she missed doping tests.

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“RUSADA’s Disciplinary Committee has disqualified Maria Sotskova for 10 years for forging a medical certificate while trying to explain why she failed to comply with doping test obligations.

“Prohibited substance was also detected on one of Sotskova’s doping probes,” A source familiar with the situation told Russia’s TASS news agency, without specifying the exact drug allegedly taken by the athlete.

In 2019 Sotskova missed three doping tests during a non-competitive period forcing RUSADA to launch an investigation.

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Russian Skater Maria Sotskova: Disqualified for 10 Years Sept 19, 2020 21:52:21 GMT

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Post by Admin on Sept 19, 2020 21:52:21 GMT

Immediately 10 years of suspension for multiple anti-doping rule violations!

Such a severe punishment threatens the skater Maria Sotskova , who announced her retirement in the summer. A student of GITIS started a new life, got married, but now her athletic achievements can be crossed out by a grandiose scandal. There has never been such a period of disqualification in figure skating!

In the 2017/2018 Olympic season, Maria Sotskova deservedly earned the right to compete at the Games in Pyeongchang, became a medalist of the stages and the Grand Prix finals, and became the second at the Russian Championship. Then the spectacular skater from CSKA performed very well, and in terms of the brutal IOC anti-doping sieve she had no problems at all.

True, at the Olympics itself, Masha became only eighth, and few people remember this. After all, in Pyeongchang, everyone was watching the dramatic struggle between Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva . Sotskova did not jump over her head, but she did not designate a claim for a prize.

They began to talk about this promising figure skater even at a junior age, when the athletes had not yet played quads and at the age of 18 were not considered veterans. But Sotskova did not succeed in becoming a superstar. After the 2018 Games, she slowed down, finished the last season ahead of schedule, and in the summer announced her parting with big sports. Masha married music producer Mikhail Omelchuk and decided to focus on family life and studying at GITIS.

Furosemide, missing tests and strange help
There was nothing surprising in her retirement from the sport. Many strong young figure skaters have appeared in the Russian national team, and, objectively speaking, Sotskova has no hopes for a place in the Russian national team. In any case, from the outside, everything looked logical.

On September 17, 2020, the story of her retirement from sports appeared in a different light.

According to TASS, RT and Reuters, Maria Sotskova missed three doping tests during the year, and at the same time, a banned diuretic furosemide was found in one of her samples, and she tried to explain its ingestion with the help of a doctor's note. But, according to Match TV, the clinic that issued this certificate does not have a license. It turns out a whole set of anti-doping violations, each of which leads to disqualification.

Although the possible term of punishment is as if the former skater not only got caught on a prohibited drug herself, but also hooked all the athletes of the Russian national team on them.

The violation was discovered by RUSADA, which immediately transmitted information to the federation. The answer from the FFKKR was not surprising - it is always about the same: let's wait for the official documents. But in this case it is understandable.

Sotskova did not notify RUSADA of her retirement before taking a doping test
It is unlikely that Mary will now make excuses and fight to reduce the sentence. She did not talk about the prospects of becoming a coach, and her disqualification would not hurt any other type of activity.

Diuretic doping
In the 21st century, Russian athletes often come across furosemide. This diuretic increases the excretion of excess fluids, potassium, calcium and magnesium from the body, but does not cause a decrease in muscle tone and endurance during exercise. It is used as a diuretic, but it also masks the use of other illegal drugs.

The loudest case was the case of gymnasts Alina Kabaeva and Irina Chashchina, who in 2001 received a one-year disqualification for furosemide in samples. In 2008, figure skater Yuri Larionov, known for his performances in pair skating with Vera Bazarova, was disqualified for 18 months. In 2013, figure skater Oksana Nagalatiy was suspended from the competition for a year, and Anastasia Shakun in 2019. Last year, figure skater Alexandra Kosheva tested positive for a similar diuretic torasemide.

How will Sotskova's case affect the national federation? No way. This is her personal mistake, and she has to pay with her reputation. There will definitely not be a repetition of history with athletics.

Last Edit: Sept 19, 2020 21:53:26 GMT by Admin

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Russian Skater Maria Sotskova: Disqualified for 10 Years Sept 21, 2020 5:41:25 GMT

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Post by Admin on Sept 21, 2020 5:41:25 GMT

Who is to blame for the fact that the Russian figure skater was disqualified for 10 years and this news was made public in violation of all the rules.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) today issued a statement regarding information about the disqualification of the Russian figure skater Maria Sotskova for ten years for violating anti-doping rules. The news was spread on Thursday by the TASS and Reuters news agencies, and it was alleged that the retired athlete was accused of missing doping tests, testing positive for furosemide, and forging a medical certificate. At the same time, neither the International Skating Union, nor the Russian Figure Skating Federation, nor Sotskova herself confirmed this information. However, they did not refute it.

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Maria, who in June announced her retirement from sports for health reasons and in connection with marriage, generally reacted to the scandalous messages with a mocking post. “Thank you all for your support,” the 20-year-old athlete wrote on her Instagram page, which she closed from outsiders as soon as compromising materials appeared in the media. The General Director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, Alexander Kogan, confirmed that there had not been any discussion of the Sotskova case at the meeting of the FFKKR executive committee yet. This means that ten years of disqualification so far is nothing more than a recommendation from RUSADA. And that is not a fact, since the agency denies that it leaked this ugly story in the media.

- We express our deep regret about the information disseminated through the central media regarding the figure skater Maria Sotskova with reference to a source in RUSADA, - the organization's official website says. - The current employees of RUSADA strictly adhere to the norms of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules, according to which the identity of any athlete or other person who is accused by RUSADA of a possible violation of anti-doping rules cannot be publicly disclosed by RUSADA until notification is sent to the athlete. Neither RUSADA, nor the all-Russian sports federations or their officials have the right to publicly comment on any pending case. RUSADA carried out an internal investigation into these publications. No violations on the part of current RUSADA employees have been identified.

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So what actually happened? And who is the victim in this story and who is the anti-doping rule violator? The version from the environment of the athlete was published by the RT portal. According to her, Sotskova decided to end her career not after the end of last season, but back in November 2019, right after her failure at the Grand Prix stage in France. At the same time, leaving the sport was not formalized. RUSADA and FFKKR did not receive written notification from Maria (and the skater herself, presumably, continued to receive cash payments as a candidate for the national team). Therefore, the doping officers of RUSADA in March 2020 had every reason to come to Sotskova with an out-of-competition check.

According to RT, the skater warned the controllers that she had already retired, but still took the test, which gave a positive result for furosemide. As an excuse, Sotskova provided RUSADA with a document stating that the drug with furosemide was prescribed to her by a doctor. However, the clinic that issued the certificate did not have the necessary license. In this regard, the athlete was accused of forgery. In addition, Maria, apparently, also against the background of a decision to end her career, missed three doping tests. And such a bunch of violations logically pulled over ten years of disqualification, which is one of the most severe punishments in the history of our sport.

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After the case of athlete Danil Lysenko and biathlete Margarita Vasilyeva, who got burned just on vague explanations about the "flags" for missing doping tests, RUSADA clearly does not intend to enter the position of violators. There are no questions about this. Another conversation is that the inability to keep confidential information secret also characterizes our anti-doping system in a certain way. Only RUSADA and FFKKR could have information about the doping investigation against Sotskova. Well, even with the athlete's entourage, which was completely uninterested in the scandal. Indeed, at the end of April this year, in an interview with Match-TV, Maria assured that “it’s too early to talk about retirement” and that “we must start all over again”.

Humanly, Sotskova is very sorry. After the Olympics, where she was the third number of our team after Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva , a lot of troubles really fell on this skater. In April 2019, she decided to leave the coach Elena Buyanova to Svetlana Sokolovskaya, and two months later, the figure skater's father suddenly died. A family tragedy unsettled the girl. First, she failed the Ten memorial, and then the French stage of the Grand Prix, taking the last, 11th place. And in December, she withdrew from the Russian championship in Krasnoyarsk, citing health problems. Since November 2019, Maria has not really performed anywhere, but she did not publicly indicate her intentions to end her career.

And if so, then her problems with filling the ADAMS system and when communicating with doping officers can be interpreted exclusively as negligence. The story with the help does not go into any gate at all. First, the weight-loss drug furosemide is the most common doping in figure skating. Not to know that it is prohibited, and that if it was discovered, not only her personally, but all Russian sports, a high-level athlete simply could not have problems. Difficulties in private life cannot be used as an excuse. Secondly, as a candidate for the Russian national team, Sotskova had the right to comprehensive medical support through the FMBA. If, instead, she was treated in some unlicensed clinic, which even cannot issue a certificate properly, this is just a guard.

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And here there are already questions not only to Maria, but also to the national federation. Of course, the leaders of the FFKKR cannot lead all the skaters in the country by the handle. But on the example of Sotskova, we see how a 19-year-old candidate for the national team (Maria turned 20 only in April) is in limbo for half a year, receives red flags from RUSADA and ingests furosemide, and in fact there is simply no one to ask for this. Of course, if the version with the actual retirement from the sport in November 2019 is not a last-minute excuse. Because after the news about the ten-year bath of Sotskova appeared, the first thought was that her departure in June 2020 was caused entirely by poor health and events in her personal life, but by doping charges. And that Maria just deceived all her fans.

Yes, the executive committee of the Russian Figure Skating Federation can still find grounds for reducing Sotskova's sentence - say, to eight years. The skater still has a chance to appeal and further reduce the sentence. Although there is absolutely no point in such a fight - Maria will definitely never be able to fight at the top level with young stars. Disqualification will only prevent her from realizing her dream and becoming a choreographer in amateur skating. For a disqualified specialist in the near future, only work in the show is open. In any case, the further fate of Mary is her private affair. But the new doping story, into which she involved our sport, will probably come back to haunt.

- Masha, in addition to this certificate, already had red flags. From such carelessness, we are then at the Olympics without a flag! - Olympic medalist Ilya Averbukh wrote on Instagram. - It's time to understand the full responsibility of each athlete! The easiest way to blame everything on the functionaries, the harder it is to find your own discipline, to understand the responsibility - and for your fellow athletes as well. And don't be confused with being kind and being kind! Because of your “let me leave you alone,” we can't get out of this doping pit. This is the wrong position for me.