Tara Moore accuses ITIA of ‘corruption’ after Iga Swiatek faces just one-month suspension over failed drug test
Iga Swiatek failed a doping test in August this year and the ITIA forfeited the prize money she won during the Cincinnati Open.
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Tara Moore, Iga Swiatek (Images via BBC, X)
Tara Moore was left fuming after another top player avoided a lengthy suspension. On Thursday (November 28), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that World No. 2 Iga Swiatek failed doping tests in August just before the Cincinnati Open.
Trimetazidine (TMZ), a drug used to treat heart conditions, was found in her sample. Swiatek bore no significant fault or negligence for the test as the drug was present in her sample at low levels.
Swiatek received a provisional suspension for three weeks (from September 12 to October 4) and missed three tournaments on the Asian swing (Korea Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open), though initially, she had announced that the reason she withdrew from these events was due to personal reasons.
Moore, who was suspended in June 2022 for doping violations till December 2023, once again took a sarcastic dig at ITIA. Given that she was suspended for 19 months despite accidental contamination criticized ITIA for its verdict on Swiatek. She had also censured the ITIA for Jannik Sinner‘s doping case.
I took 19 months off as I had to make a “change to my team” too guys. Let’s not forget, mine was also contamination, and 2 other people also tested positive yet ITIA are appealing my case. why is no one seriously looking into the corruption of the organisations that govern us?
Tara Moore wrote on X
Check out the post here:
I took 19 months off as I had to make a “change to my team” too guys. Let’s not forget, mine was also contamination, and 2 other people also tested positive yet ITIA are appealing my case. 🤷🏽♀️ why is no one seriously looking into the corruption of the organisations that govern us?
— Tara Moore (@TaraMoore92) November 28, 2024
ITIA CEO issues statement on Iga Swiatek’s doping case
After ITIA informed Swiatek about the failed test, she appealed to an independent tribunal. The ITIA accepted Swiatek’s explanation that TMZ entered her body because of a contaminated medication, melatonin, which she was taking for sleep and jetlag problems.
However, the product does not have the same designation globally, and the fact that a product is a regulated medication in one country cannot of itself be sufficient to avoid any level of fault. Taking into account the nature of the medication, and all the circumstances, it does place that fault at the lowest end of the scale.
ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse stated
Since she failed the drug test before the Cincinnati Open, ITIA forfeited the prize money she won after reaching the semifinals. The WTA also released a statement and provided its full support to the 23-year-old and admitted that athletes like Swiatek land themselves in trouble due to the use of medications and supplements.
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