[moonglow]

^  ATL mightn't have had time to look at the thread, but as ATL used to write here and knows more about women's tennis than we do - then I hope ATL will be here soon.

[amongsttheleaves]

Don't understand why anyone should think that just because I watch WTA matches I should know the inner workings of the ITF and Alize Cornet's diary.

I read the L'Equipe article, the ITF statement and Cornet's statement. ITF say Cornet missed 3 out of competition tests, Cornet does not deny that but says she presented reasons to the ITF for the non-availability. ITF rejects them, even though Cornet thinks they are perfectly valid reasons. It goes to a tribubal. The end.

What this does highlight is the issue - and this is an issue that several of the top men have also highlighted in the past - that at the beginning of each year the players have to notify the ITF of their exact whereabouts for 365 days of the year. Tennis players' plans change on an extremely regular basis due to tournament results, injury, travel issues etc. Or maybe out of season/training they suddenly decide to change their plans one morning and go on an impromptu trip or lunch date or whatever.

Just goes to show how inflexible their lives are and how little privacy athletes get. Tennis players probably have it worse than many other sports people.

[Aileen]

What this does highlight is the issue - and this is an issue that several of the top men have also highlighted in the past - that at the beginning of each year the players have to notify the ITF of their exact whereabouts for 365 days of the year. Tennis players' plans change on an extremely regular basis due to tournament results, injury, travel issues etc. Or maybe out of season/training they suddenly decide to change their plans one morning and go on an impromptu trip or lunch date or whatever.

Just goes to show how inflexible their lives are and how little privacy athletes get. Tennis players probably have it worse than many other sports people.

Thanks ATL.  Yes it goes to show how inflexible their lives are.  & they have to tell the ITF where they are all the time.  I suppose you could be in the middle of a meal or anything when they come to test you.  It's very intrusive and I'm sure the players don't like it.

I think Andy's mentioned that he's even been woken up during the night to have a urine sample taken!  Also he was nearly late in getting to Buckingham Palace when he went to get his OBE because testers turned up at about the same time as the taxi arrived wanting a blood sample, which they duly got, although for some reason I don't understand players have to sit for 20 minutes before the sample can be taken, so if ever there was a very good reason for refusing to have a test done that was it!   It does shows though just how important these tests are to players, and why I hope that Cornet can convince the Tribunal that her three excuses in one year were due to completely valid and unavoidable circumstances..

[Aileen]

I read that too about the players, but having to give details for a whole year in advance is just plain crazy!

[amongsttheleaves]

Infomation about the whereabouts rule can be found on the ITF website:

http://www.itftennis.com/antidoping/whereabouts/overview.aspx

The WADA website:

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/questions-answers/whereabouts

National anti-doping office website. In the case of the UK - UKAD:

https://ukad.org.uk/education/athletes/elite/whereabouts/

[Aileen]

Thanks from me too.   It can't be very pleasant though if you're enjoying a nice relaxing holiday somewhere to have to keep the authorities informed of your every move.

[laundry]

Really happy to see Bradley Wiggins caught using 'legal' enhancement drugs. Always something about him I really didn't like, I seem to be able to smell these types; time and again my intuition comes to some revelation.

[Aileen]

^ I find it very interesting too because I always felt that there was something decidedly iffy about Wiggins' and Team Sky's version of events.  I hope he is stripped of his knighthood.