Jordana Blesa Suspended (sept-dec 00)
Jocelyn
from Blades On Ice:
"Jordana Blesa from the United States [Figure Skating - Ladies] tested positive
for prohibited substances [in the category of stimulants] at the Junior Grand
Prix of Figure Skating event in Kiev on September 22, 2000. The USFSA confirmed
in writing that the positive test was related to medication, which has been
taken inadvertently and accepted the result of the “A” sample analysis.
This means that the “B” sample analysis was waived. The ISU Council decided
to suspend Jordana Blesa from all competitions for three (3) months beginning
on the day of sample-taking, i.e. from September 22 to December 22, 2000. The
above-mentioned skater is excluded from the results of any competition in which
she participated during the above-mentioned time period and her respective
placements are withdrawn. Source: ISU"
How old is this news - this is the first time I've heard it. Does this effect
any other results? I don't recall if she had any other competitions in that
time period.
Jocelyn
barbk
Jocelyn wrote:
Barb K. here ==
I assume Ms. Blesa ran afoul of some kind of over-the-counter medication. I wonder
how it happened and what (if anything) the USFSA is trying to do to help make sure
that other athletes don't make this same mistake?
But I'm also curious as to the real impact of this "exclusion." If Ms. Blesa
particpated in Sectionals/Regionals during the period of the (retroactive) ban, and
her placement was high enough to qualify for Nationals (which was held after the
ban expired) would she be excluded from Nationals under the theory that her
placements at the qualifying competitions didn't count? If she did compete at
Nationals and earned some kind of team envelope rating based on that result, would
that team envelope inclusion also be withdrawn?
There are a lot of weirdnesses when drug results are announced months after the
event at which a positive sample was drawn.
Now the kicker -- as I recall from the Berezhnaya case, the penalty kick way up if
she ever has a second positive sample? Now that we're drug testing even really
young skaters (12 or 13 years old at the Novice North American, events, right?) it
looks like we're making an awfully long window for the "gotcha" given that some of
these skaters could be skating well into their 20's, particularly if they move into
pairs or dance. That "gotcha" is one thing if it involved intentional use of a
real performance enhancing or illegal drug, but I'm not so sure that it is
warranted when the drug involved was an OTC cold medicine.
Cheers,
Barb K.
Sandra Loosemore
> I don't remember seeing this before...
>
> from Blades On Ice:
>
> "Jordana Blesa from the United States [Figure Skating - Ladies]
> tested positive for prohibited substances [in the category of
> stimulants] at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in Kiev
> on September 22, 2000."
>
> How old is this news - this is the first time I've heard it.
It was just announced a few days ago in an ISU communication. It's
available on the ISU web site.
-Sandra
PosterBoy
"Jocelyn" <nonn...@aol.communique> wrote in message
news:20010217005905...@ng-bj1.aol.com...
> I don't remember seeing this before...
>
> from Blades On Ice:
>
> "Jordana Blesa from the United States [Figure Skating - Ladies] tested
positive
> for prohibited substances [in the category of stimulants] at the Junior
Grand
> Prix of Figure Skating event in Kiev on September 22, 2000. The USFSA
confirmed
> in writing that the positive test was related to medication, which has
been
analysis.
> This means that the â?oBâ?ť sample analysis was waived. The ISU Council
decided
> to suspend Jordana Blesa from all competitions for three (3) months
beginning
> on the day of sample-taking, i.e. from September 22 to December 22, 2000.
The
> above-mentioned skater is excluded from the results of any competition in
which
> she participated during the above-mentioned time period and her respective
> placements are withdrawn. Source: ISU"
>
> How old is this news - this is the first time I've heard it. Does this
effect
> any other results? I don't recall if she had any other competitions in
that
> time period.
I think you've asked very pertinent questions here, Jocelyn.
I'd like to add a couple:
*Are we certain this story is correct? (I went to her own website
(http://www.jordanablesa.com/Home/Default.asp) and searched high and low,
and couldn't find it. Not even in LATEST NEWS. Surely, that is some of the
biggest news about Jordana that would be available?)
*Has anyone been able to find this information on either ISU or USFSA
websites? I couldn't, but I would guess that these would be logical places
to find the official news? Instantly, I would guess.
I find all these cases of *discipline-for-druggies* quite fascinating,
consider the Oly associations special committee (Actually, World Anti-Doping
Agency) members in disagreement about limiting the drug list to true
performance-enhancing meds. Interestingly, two Canadians on the committee
appear to be at the opposite ends of the debate: Angela Schneider, the Oly
gold winner, and Cinquanta heir apparent Dick Pound.
Thanks for the BOI excerpt, Jocelyn.
Cheers.
David Weinberg
"PosterBoy" <bra...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:IoRj6.127271$t94.1...@news1.rdc1.bc.home.com...
> *Are we certain this story is correct? (I went to her own website
> (http://www.jordanablesa.com/Home/Default.asp) and searched high and low,
> and couldn't find it. Not even in LATEST NEWS. Surely, that is some of
the
> biggest news about Jordana that would be available?)
It is correct. It is now on the ISU site. That site is no faster in being
updated than the USFSA site but it got updated this week (under the
announcements section for figure skating)