Five questions Maria Sharapova has to answer

1) How was Sharapova unaware that meldonium was banned?

It beggars belief that an elite sportswoman, who employs a legion of advisers, physios and support staff, remained entirely unaware of the new list, which is published in October every year. If they had scanned the list and, as she claims, she was taking the substance for legitimate medical reasons, it would have given them three months to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption that would have allowed her to carry on taking it

2) Did she ever put meldonium down on her sample collection form?

When they give a sample, athletes are encouraged to write down any medication they are taking, whether or not it is on the prohibited list. Did Sharapova include meldonium on that form over the 10 years she was taking it? It is not mandatory to do so. But if she did not, then why on earth not?

3) Why did she start taking the drug, for how long and how often did she take it?

In her bravura press conference, Sharapova said several of her electrocardiography (EKG) tests were irregular and she was magnesium deficient, which prompted her doctor to prescribe the drug in 2006. But on Tuesday, the manufacturers said a typical course only lasts for four to six weeks. It is now incumbent on Sharapova or her team to explain whether she was taking meldonium for that entire period. If not, when was she taking it for and for how long? Nor is the drug licensed for sale in the US (or, indeed, the UK). So where was it prescribed and where did she get it?

4)Was she aware of the performance benefits?

Sharapova said in passing that the drug was not performance-enhancing for her. And yet Wada only added it to the list after concluding definitively that it has performance-enhancing properties. Explaining why, UK Anti-Doping’s head of science and medicine, Nick Wojek, said: “If you increase the blood flow to your heart there could be an increase in heart function and physical work capacity. If you’re increasing the blood flow to the heart and muscles, it brings into play endurance and potentially increasing your aerobic capacity.” Again, it seems unlikely that Sharapova could take the drug for 10 years, on and off, and not be aware of its potential performance-enhancing effects

5) Did she ever apply for a TUE?

A Therapeutic Use Exemption allows athletes taking a banned substance if they have a legitimate medical reason to do so. Given the way it has been exploited as a grey area by some, the entire TUE process has also come under scrutiny. But under the rules as they stand there are four conditions that allow an athlete to apply for a TUE after a positive test: if there was an emergency treatment or treatment for an emergency condition, an exceptional circumstance that would mean the athlete didn’t have the opportunity to submit a TUE application, if it was a low-level athlete (not applicable here) and, finally, a catch-all “fairness” provision that would allow Wada or the ITF to grant a retroactive TUE if they believed it was fair to do so. Has Sharapova applied for a TUE? If she has, was her application therefore refused?

Guardian services