Gabriela Andreasu, Director General of the National Anti-Doping Agency, provided clarification on the situation of Simona Halep, whose doping case will be urgently reviewed by Sports Resolutions.

The experts hired by Simona adhere to the idea of ​​contamination (banning the use of a contaminated food supplement) and hope to receive only a reprimand without a final suspension.

The head of ANAD clarifies the current situation of Simona Halep: “It must be proved”

The head of ANAD confirmed that Simona will avoid suspension if she can prove that she did not knowingly use the substance Roxadustat.

“I read that a specific deadline was set for the extraordinary review. We are not familiar with this term, if the lawyers said so, then it must be so. I can confirm that procedurally, once a temporary suspension is imposed, an emergency hearing is arranged as soon as possible.

During this hearing, the athlete can present evidence, and if he can prove that the product he used, by which we mean supplements, was contaminated with a banned substance, then the sanction can be overturned. It is possible, therefore it is not necessary, it must be demonstrated.

This temporary suspension can be imposed in two ways. Either through the first notification to the athlete or notification of impeachment, or through a separate decision.

In Simona Halep’s case, it was imposed by the message she was sent. The hearing is organized immediately, on an emergency basis, this is the terminology in the World Anti-Doping Code precisely to give the athlete an opportunity to defend himself.

If he used something contaminated without his knowledge, it wasn’t labeled, he wouldn’t suspect that it was, for example, a synonym for a substance on the banned list, and even if he did his best to find the ingredients, he checked each one, and that synonym of the substance did not appear on the prohibited list, then the athlete did not have this full guilt, and the period of temporary suspension could be canceled” – Gabriela Andreyasureports Sport Total FM.

If innocence cannot be proven, Simone has one more appeal: the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

It will be recalled that the maximum suspension that Halep could receive is 4 years.

George Kosak is confident that Simona will return for the 2023 US Open

In an interview with ProSport, George Kosac, president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, is convinced that Simona Halep has certain assets to prove her innocence.

“I am an optimist and believe that Simona Halep will prove her innocence. I don’t know if she will be able to go to Roland Garros, but I think she will be able to participate in the US Open, because by then the verdict will be passed on her.” – he noted George Kozak.

This year’s US Open starts on August 28 and ends on September 10.