"It’s important to explain how it works": Italy's Olympic medal-winning swimmer questions dealing of Jannik Sinner's doping case

Former Italian Olympic-winning swimmer Federica Pellegrini has questioned the way doping case of fellow countryman Jannik Sinner has been handled. The 23-year-old, who is regarded as the best player currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, is going through a tough time ever since he tested positive for banned substance clostebol in March last year.

Sinner managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because he came in close contact with his physio Naldi who used to spray for the treatment of a cut on his finger.

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the ITIA’s verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the issue finally came to a conclusion as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months. His ban will end just a few days before the start of the Rome Masters in May later this year.

Former Italian Olympic medal-winning swimmer Pellegrini recently spoke to La Repubblica, as quoted by Tennis 365, where she questioned the process followed in the case of Sinner. The 36-year-old questioned the application of the strict liability rules. She was of the opinion that an athlete bears the responsibility of whatever his/her physio applies.

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“Jannik is well-liked and is therefore defended in every way, no matter what, and I think that’s fair,” she said. “However, I believe his case was handled differently from 99% of other athletes. The complexity of an athlete’s life is constantly subject to doping controls, 12 months a year. It’s important to explain how it works to fully understand what’s behind the Sinner case. The discussion also touches on strict team liability, an often underestimated but central concept in anti-doping regulations. It’s not my fault if my physio drinks a beer and knocks someone over, but it becomes my responsibility if he uses cream on me and I test positive. This isn’t the case with Sinner, which is strange. It applies to all athletes. So why should this case be handled differently?”

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