‘Accidental’ doping leaves ATP red-faced

‘‘Under the new distribution policies, ATP trainers no longer will dispense electrolyte tablets or other vitamin and mineral products,’’ the organisation said in a statement yesterday.

‘‘The ATP learned in May that ATP trainers were dispensing an electrolyte replacement health product to players. ‘‘An investigation confirmed that despite repeated warnings to players about the potential risk of contamination of supplements, ATP trainers had been dispensing several vitamin and nutritional products, including electrolyte replacement tablets used to offset excessive and potentially dangerous loss of electrolytes such as sodium and chloride through sweat.’’

‘‘The trainers erroneously had not considered these tablets to be supplements or products that presented a risk for contamination, as the tablets had been used without incident by ATP trainers for more than 20 years.

‘‘In the 10-year history of the tennis anti-doping programme, there had only been one positive case involving low levels of nandrolone metabolites. During the period between late August 2002 and mid-May 2003, however, seven samples who was suspended on May 2 for a nandrolone, were positive.”