The WTA Pushing for Changes After Wickmayer Controversy February 8
Stacey Allaster the new head of the Women’s Tennis Association has said she’s pushing for changes to current drug testing procedures after Yanina Wickmayer’s controversial suspension. Allaster feels that while the zero tolerance policy of the World Anti-Doping Agency is sound the whereabouts program could use some improvement to evade problems associated with it. Wickmayer was given a one year ban after failing to report her whereabouts to WADA as required on 3 separate occasions. She appealed to a Belgian court and her suspension was lifted last month pending the tennis player’s appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the European Commission and the European Court for Human Rights. Wickmayer claims she wasn’t made aware of the whereabouts regulations and so wasn’t able to follow them.
Allaster says that while the WTA was a signatory to the WADA code and therefore required to follow its rules the organization had suggested procedural changes relating to the whereabouts program in regards to tennis players.
“Everyone in the sport has zero-tolerance for doping. We are united as all governing bodies to comply with the WADA code,” she said.”I think the whereabouts program is good, but some of the procedures within the whereabouts program need to be modified for our sport. We have been active in giving our feedback to WADA on the whereabouts program, our feedback and our athletes’ feedback on what should take place as it relates to the whereabouts program. Do we think the rules need to be changed? Yes, we are advocating for changes to the whereabouts program.”
According to Allaster the WTA is committed to supporting Wickmayer saying that her case highlighted the problems of the regulations.
“We know where they are, they are here (playing), but they don’t know if they are going to win a match or not, when they are going to get a practice court, and it is very difficult to keep that system updated,” she said. “If WADA wants to come in, or a national doping organization, and wants to come in and test them, all they have to do is look at the schedule. What we have been saying is that what works for all sports doesn’t work for our sport procedurally, when they are in competition and they are in competition 10 months a year.”
Tags: allaster, WADA, whereabouts regs, wickmayer, women's tennis association