Cocaine: Gasquet Tests Positive (Latest Update)

by Savannah

Update on the Richard Gasquet Drug Case

French sports journal L'Equipe reports that Richard Gasquet has been suspened by the ITF until a hearing can be held. The original French is followed by my translation.

Contrôlé positif à la cocaïne en marge du tournoi de Miami, pour lequel il avait déclaré forfait, Richard Gasquet a été suspendu à titre provisoire par l'ITF, lundi. Cette sanction prend effet immédiatement, et sera en vigueur jusqu'à une audience devant la commission antidopage, dont la date reste à définir.

After testing positive for cocaine in Miami after having withdrawn from the tournament there the ITF has suspended Richard Gasquet effective immediately. It will stay in effect until a hearing to be held before the anti doping commission. A date has not been set.

British press reports say the following:

The International Tennis Federation says an anti-doping tribunal should be assembled within 60 days to hear the case.
(...)
"He's suspended until the end of the hearing," ITF spokesman Neil Robinson said. "We're now assembling an anti-doping tribunal. The ideal timeframe is within 60 days, but people have to fly in from all over the world for it."

Gasquet's father has said that someone put cocaine in his son's drink but drug experts advise that there are three main ways of ingesting cocaine: snorting it, smoking it and injecting it. In order to inject the drug it is mixed with a liquid of some kind but the solution is not normally added to someone's drink. Rock singer Stevie Nicks is said to have been administered enema's laced with cocaine.

DEVELOPING

French media reports that Richard Gasquet tested positive for a controlled substance after Miami. He faces a three month suspension. The original French is followed by a Google translation that was edited by me.

Le joueur de tennis français a été contrôlé positif à une substance prohibée lors d’un contrôle effectué sur le Masters 1000 de Miami, fin mars.

Richard Gasquet, 23 ans, a été contrôlé positif à l’occasion du Masters 1000 de Miami, fin mars. La nouvelle nous a été confirmée par un officiel de la Fédération française de tennis. De source médicale, l'échantillon A du Français présenterait des traces d'une substance interdite par le code mondial antidopage en compétition, de type récréatif (cocaïne, cannabis, etc). Le contrôle a été diligenté par l'Agence mondiale antidopage (AMA).

S’agissant d’une première infraction, Gasquet pourrait n’encourir « que » 3 mois de suspension.

French tennis player Richard Gasquet tested positive for a prohibited substance during a check carried out at the M1000 Miami Masters in late March. The news has been confirmed by an official of the French Tennis Federation. Sample A showed traces of a substance banned by the World Anti Doping Code in competition. The substance falls under the category of recreational, cocaine or cannabis.

Since this is a first offense the penalty is "only" a three month suspension. The audit was conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

UPDATE

L'Equipe is confirming initial report and that the amount in his system would warrant a two year suspension. Again French followed by my edited Google translation.

Des traces de cocaïne ont été retrouvées dans l'échantillon A des urines de Richard Gasquet, contrôlé à Miami alors qu'il venait de déclarer forfait pour le tournoi.

Ces traces, de l'ordre de 1,46 microgramme, soit supérieures au seuil de sensibilité de 0,5 demandé à tous les laboratoires accrédités, pourraient valoir au tennisman français, si la contre-expertise corroborait la prime analyse, une suspension de deux ans. En effet, la cocaïne figure parmi les stimulants majeurs interdits en compétition. Le joueur français, qui nie toute prise volontaire, n'a pas souhaité réagir à l'information, mais devrait très vite effectuer des analyses capillaires afin de démontrer qu'il n'est pas consommateur régulier. Enfin, le TEAM Lagardère devrait communiquer très vite à ce sujet, probablement demain en milieu de l'après-midi.

Traces of cocaine were found in Richard Gasquet's urine sample and he had(?) to forfeit the tournament. The trace level was 1.46 micrograms far above the sensitivity threshold of 0.5 used by accredited laboratories. If this is confirmed Gasquet faces a two year ban. Gasquet denies the charges and has offered to provide a hair sample to show that he is not a regular user of the drug. Team Lagardere is expected to make a statement tomorrow afternoon.

Update 2: Savannah commented below that Gasquet's B sample confirmed the results of the A sample. Our own rabbit posted this on Talk About Tennis:

I found some stuff from other players here and here.

Santoro:

Quote:

"I spoke to him on the telephone," Santoro, who trains alongside Gasquet in the Team Lagardere training set-up, told Europe 1 radio station. "He is sad, really shocked. He doesn't understand. He told me about his dinner, his evening (on the night before the drug test)..." "I've known Richard since he was nine years old, so I'm very surprised," Santoro, 36, continued. "I found out about the case yesterday (Saturday) evening. I know Richard and his way of life very well, so it's a huge surprise because it doesn't add up. "Or maybe I was wrong (about Gasquet) - which would really surprise me, because I know him very well - or maybe there is a problem somewhere else."

Llodra:

Quote:

Gasquet's Davis Cup team-mate Michael Llodra said: "I don't know in which context he could have taken something or if he knew what he was doing. Only he knows. "When I go out I am very careful. I keep my hand over my glass, because I know that this kind of mistake can happen very quickly."

Federer:

Quote:

« J’espère que ce n’est pas vrai mais je pense qu’on ne peut rien dire tant que Richard (Gasquet) ne s’est pas exprimé. Aussi longtemps qu’il n’aura pas donné sa version, il est difficile de s’exprimer et de donner son opinion. Je vais attendre pour ça. »

Translation: I hope that it is not true, but I think that one shouldn't say anything until Richard explains himself. Until the time he gives his version, it is hard to explain or to give an opinion. I'll wait for that.

Update 3: The ITF has suspended Gasquet for two years pending the WADA hearing at an unspecified date.