WADA Declines to Appeal Against Iga Swiatek's One-Month Ban
WADA Declines to Appeal Against Iga Swiatek's One-Month Ban
By Wallace-Ejoh Ovie Kwame
20th January 2025
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has decided not to challenge the one-month suspension given to Poland's Iga Swiatek after she tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a heart medication, during an out-of-competition test in August 2024.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and the current world number two, served her suspension, which ended on December 4, 2024. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined the positive test was caused by contamination and accepted her explanation.
In a statement, WADA confirmed its decision not to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), saying that "scientific experts validated the athlete's contaminated melatonin scenario as plausible, and no scientific grounds exist to challenge it."
Legal experts consulted by WADA agreed that Swiatek's case was well-supported by evidence and that the ITIA's decision aligned with the World Anti-Doping Code, leaving no reasonable basis for an appeal.
Meanwhile, WADA has taken a different stance regarding men's world number one Jannik Sinner, appealing the lack of a ban after he failed two drug tests in March.
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