TENNIS SUPER STAR IS ALREADY
FEELING THE CONSEQUENCES AFTER
SHE ADMITTED FAILING A DRUG
TEST.
NIKE IS SUSPENDSING THEIR
RELATIONSHIP WITH SHARAPOVA
WHILE THE INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT
WAS QUOTE SADDENED AND SURPRISED
AT THE NEWS.
SHARAPOVA TESTED
POSITIVE FOR A DRUG SHE SAYS SHE
WAS PRESCRIBED A DECADE AGO FOR
HEALTH ISSUES.
I DON'T WANT TO END MY CAREER
THIS WAY, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT
I WILL BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE
TO PLAY THIS GAME.
SHARAPOVA IS THE WORLD'S
HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETES,
AND ALREADY HAS DEALS IN
JEOPARDY.
THAT'S USUALLY WHERE
THIS STARTS, RIGHT, THE
ENDORSEMENTS CONCERNED ABOUT
THEIR REPUTATION SO A NO REAL
SURPRISE THAT SHE'S SEEING
CONSEQUENCES.
I THINK SHE SHOULD.
SHE
CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT.
SO LET'S START WITH THE DRUG
MELDONIUM, IT IS ONLY
DISTRIBUTED IN COUNTRIES IN
RUSSIA.
SO RIGHT THERE YOU KNOW
IT'S USED FOR CHEATING.
IT WAS
FOUND IN 17% OF RUSSIAN
ATHLETES.
DO WE BELIEVE THAT
17% OF THEM HAVE THE SAME HEART
PROBLEM AND THEY NEED THIS, NO,
BUT IT IMPROVES BLOOD FLOW AND
SHARAPOVA SAYS SHE WAS
PRESCRIBED IT BY A DOCTOR TEN
YEARS AGO FOR MEDICAL REASONS.
I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE IS
WHETHER OR NOT THAT SHE WAS
USING IT KNOWINGLY AFTER IT WAS
BANNED.
SHE ADMITTED TO USING
IT FOR TEN YEARS.
IT WAS
ILLEGAL THE ENTIRE TIME AND JUST
IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS DID
IT BECOME BANNED.
I THINK IT'S
REASONABLE TO THINK THAT SHE
MADE A MISTAKE
I THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE.
I
THINK THE TESTING ON THIS STUFF
IS ALWAYS BEHIND THE SCIENCE AND
IT PROBABLY JUST GOT BANNED
BECAUSE PEOPLE FOUND OUT THEY
WERE USING IT TO CHEAT.
SO
SHE'S -- SO SHE'S USING IT TO
GET AN EDGE.
SHE JUST FOUND OUT
THAT IT'S ILLEGAL.
THEY SENT THE EMAIL WHACK IN
SEPTEMBER SAYING OKAY, THESE THE
NEW LIST OF DRUGS.
IT WENT INTO
EFFECT JANUARY 1ST, JANUARY 26TH
IS WHEN SHE WAS TESTED.
SO
THAT'S A 26-DAY WINDOW.
I GIVE
HER A LITTLE BIT THERE, I ALSO
THINK THAT THERE'S SO MANY
DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ALL THESE
ATHLETES DOING TO ENHANCE THEIR
PERFORMANCE.
I DON'T SEE IT AS
THAT BIG OF A DEAL.
SHE WILL DID STEP UP RIGHT
AWAY AND CAME FORWARD AND HELD A
PRESS CONFERENCE, ADMITTED IT
SAID SHE'S TOTALLY TAKING
OWNERSHIP FOR THIS.
WE'VE SEEN
HOW MANY OTHER ATHLETES DENY IT.
SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO COME
FORWARD AND ADMIT IT.
SO THE
STORY I'VE BEEN TAKING IT FOR
MEDICAL PURPOSES FOR ME IS BS.
I DON'T THINK SHE TOOK IT FOR
MEDICAL PURPOSES AT ALL.
I
THINK SHE TOOK IT TO ENHANCE HER
PERFORMANCE
I THINK SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
OUT OF HER SYSTEM.
SO YOU THINK SHE'S DOWN?
YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, RIGHT.
KIM IS RIGHT, WE DON'T THOUGH
EITHER WAY WHAT HER
INTENTIONS WERE.
RIGHT.
ALL WE KNOW IS THE STORY THAT
SHE'S GIVEN.
BUT WHY WOULD HE BELIEVE
THAT?
IT'S 2016.
EVERY ATHLETE CHEATS IF THEY
CAN BECAUSE THERE'S THIS MUCH
MONEY AND FAME ON THE LINE.
YOU WANT TO BE AT THE TOP.
YOU WANT THE EDGE.
SHE GOT
CAUGHT AND HAD NO OTHER OPTION
BUT TO OWN YOU UP TO IT.
WHO'S TO SAY THAT SHE WAS NOT