Diana Taurasi Link Roundup: Patience Required Until January 2 Test
by Nate Parham on Dec 24, 2010 2:10 PM EST
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When petrel originally posted the link to Turkish newspaper Milliyet's report of Diana Taurasi testing positive for drugs yesterday morning, I think he took the right approach: skepticism.
But from that leak, we have a WNBA off-season story that was on ESPN and everything.
Now after Taurasi's lawyer said in a statement last night the test would be delayed, Turkish newspaper Takvim is reporting that the second test will take place on January 2.
And with everyone including the AP likely to remain behind the Turkish papers on this matter, it's clear that the facts are more likely to get lost in translation before the clarity of that second test is brought to light.
Update - 12/24/10 at 11:09 am PST:
As posted by commenter Jaanis the substance detected in the first test was Modafinil, as released by the Turkish Basketball Federation (click here for a translated link). Seth Pollack at SBN Arizona states his reasoning for why what we know now gives reason for why the current facts point to a positive second test. His entire piece is worth reading, but looking forward, if indeed the "B" test turns up positive, Pollack describes that Modafinil is certainly a performance enhancing stimulant but her reason for using it will remain unclear so speculating about her intent is pointless.
Diana Taurasi Drug Test Results Calls For Hope, Skepticism And Patience - SBN Arizona
If it turns out the sample is confirmed and Taurasi is determined to have taken a banned substance in violation of the various anti-doping rules then much of this comes down to intent.The drug Modafinil has been on the list of banned substances since 2004 because it can help athletes increase performance. It is also a drug used for other purposes such as creating enhanced states of happiness and alertness. This 2009 Time Magazine article describes its addictive properties as it debunks the idea that Modafinil is a "safe party drug".
Did she take the drug to increase athletic performance? As a "party drug"? For some other purpose? Unless Taurasi releases a statement it is unlikely we would ever know that answer.
If she did use Modafinil, we won't know for some time how her intentions for using the drug influence the consequences for being caught, but at the very least we have to suspend judgment of Taurasi's character until that information is released.
More updates in the comments; links after the jump.
Links:
Why Modafinil may have been "confused" as cocaine: studies from 2003 and 2004.
Turkish Basketball Federation Release (translated)
Takvim -Turkish report about the January 2 test date
SLAM ONLINE | " Laboratory That Tested Taurasi Has Questionable History
Former UConn All-American Diana Taurasi Fails Drug Test In Turkey - Courant.com
Diana Taurasi Reportedly Tests Positive For Banned Substance - SBNation.com
Taurasi tests positive for banned substance (AP report)
Turkey: Diana Taurasi Flags Positive for Drug Screen (Original report for Milliyet)
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Thanks for the heads up
It appears that modafinil can be taken for a number of reasons… but is definitely performance enhancing…
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @NateP_SBN.
no coke, but
Modafinil is sometimes used to treat people who are trying to break a cocaine habit.
I believe in Rising to the Occasion
I believe in Pushing It
I believe Women are Emotional
I believe Nothing is Out of Reach
I believe in Dreaming Big
I believe in Taking What is Mine
I believe in My Team
I believe We're in this Together
NYTimes: Taurasi May Face Olympic Ban for Positive Drug Test
But even if it were determined that Taurasi took the stimulant inadvertently, and a two-year ban were reduced, she could still face the loss of Olympic eligibility.
Thanks for the link
That required a login, so for those who don’t have one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/sports/basketball/25taurasi.html
The International Olympic Committee instituted a controversial rule in 2008 that prohibits athletes from competing in the next Winter or Summer Games if they have served a doping suspension of six months or longer.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @NateP_SBN.
And for the record
It is my current understanding that a suspension would not immediately jeopardize Taurasi’s WNBA season, despite the fact that modafinil is a WNBA prohibited substance. A few reasons for that:
1) We don’t know if the WNBA issued an “authorization for testing” as mandated by the WNBA CBA. But aside from the certification issues mentioned by Ben York at SLAM, the WNBA and WNBAPA have to be involved in selecting the laboratory that analyzes any results. Given the timeline reported by Seth Pollack, it’s not inconceivable that it occurred (and the WNBA is supposed to keep that confidential) but the Turkish Basketball Federation certainly had no reason to consult both the WNBA and WNBAPA prior to a test or lab analysis, which would render these results irrelevant to the WNBA.
2) If the “B” test does come back positive and Taurasi suffers a FIBA/IOC suspension, the WNBA would have to go through its own separate process in order to impose a penalty on Taurasi as specified by the CBA.
In other words, even a positive “B” test doesn’t mean anything automatically for Taurasi’s 2011 WNBA season, but it could trigger a separate WNBA process that could obviously yield legitimately different results and consequences.
SwishAppeal.com for women's basketball...SB Nation Seattle for Seattle sports. Twitter: @NateP_SBN.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Ah, Cleveland and Seattle. Two major cities locked in an eternal epic struggle to determine who's more tortured in sports. Due to the WNBA Champion Seattle Storm, Cleveland is starting to get the upper hand.
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