A tennis player who consumed a banned substance has been hit with a year-long ban after volunteering to be suspended. Tsao Chia-yi, who represented Chinese Taipei in the Olympic doubles last summer, tested positive for the prohibited substance methylephedrine in January. Earlier this year, she accepted a voluntary provisional suspension after being notified of her anti-doping rule violation.
Now, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) have confirmed that Tsao has been banned for 12 months. During that time, she will not be allowed to play in, coach at, or otherwise attend any tennis event sanctioned by the WTA, ITF or ATP. Time already served under provisional suspension will count towards the ban, meaning Tsao's period of ineligibility will end on February 28 2026.
A statement from the ITIA revealed that Tsao blamed her positive sample on the consumption of cold medicine she purchased at an airport in Tokyo. The body accepted that her violation of the anti-doping rules was not intentional.
"The product's Japanese packaging, as well as the manufacturer's website, listed methylephedrine as an ingredient," read the statement.
"Although the player does not speak Japanese, they admitted that they did not consult the store attendant, undertake their own research, or speak to a physician to assess the suitability of the product despite recent education on the topic of medications.
"In mitigation, Tsao explained that the version of the product available in their country of origin does not contain methylephedrine as an ingredient, and its familiarity was a factor in acquiring the product in Japan.
"The player submitted receipts and photographs in support of their explanation and the ITIA accepted that the violation was not intentional."
Tsao previously explained her side of the story in a statement, which was posted on her Facebook page. She wrote: "Due to the intensive overseas travel towards the end of last year, I was extremely unwell and had to take cold medicine for treatment.
"On February 20 this year, the ITIA sent a letter notifying me of abnormal drug test values. I immediately applied for a suspension on March 1 and replied with relevant content and proof. I am now fully cooperating with the investigation.
"I hereby solemnly declare that I have no intention of using drugs to enhance my athletic performance. During the suspension period, I will continue to train and wait for the results of the investigation.
"I will take this incident as a warning and will be more cautious in dealing with related matters in the future. Thank you for your concern and support."
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