By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 22, 2021
Dayana Yastremska, previously provisionally suspended by the ITF for a doping violation, is now eligible to return to competition.
The Ukrainian star provided a positive out-of-competition urine sample last November that tested positive for Mesterolone, a prohibited substance, was as provisionally suspended from January 7.
However, the ITF says it has accepted Yastremska’s account of how the Mesterolone entered her system and determined her to be at no fault.
She is eligible to return to the WTA Tour immediately.
Here is part of the statement, released on Tuesday June 22, by the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
Ms. Yastremska, a 20-year-old player from Ukraine, provided an Out-of-Competition urine sample on 24 November 2020. That sample was sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada for analysis, and was found to contain a metabolite of mesterolone. Mesterolone, a non-Specified Substance, is prohibited under category S1 of the 2020 WADA Prohibited List (Anabolic Agents), and therefore is also prohibited under the Programme.
Ms. Yastremska was charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) on 22 December 2020 and was provisionally suspended with effect from 7 January 2021. Following a hearing, the Independent Tribunal accepted Ms. Yastremska’s account of how the mesterolone entered her system and determined that she bore No Fault or Negligence for the violation within the meaning of Programme Article 10.5. Where a finding of No Fault or Negligence is made, Programme Article 10.5 provides that any otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility shall be eliminated entirely. Therefore, Ms. Yastremska’s provisional suspension is lifted with immediate effect, and she will not serve any period of Ineligibility for her violation. For the avoidance of doubt, Ms. Yastremska is eligible to resume competition immediately.