Maria Sharapova took meldonium for 10 years

Last weekend, Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova was in the center of the doping scandal. The athlete did not pass the doping test: the tests showed the presence in the body of Sharapova meldonia, a drug that was banned from January 1, 2016.
The latest news was reported by Maria herself, gathering a press conference in Los Angeles. The tennis player admitted that she was not aware that the drug she was taking was forbidden. Sharapova at the end of last year by mail received a letter from the world's doping agency with an updated list of banned drugs, but did not read this letter.

Sharapova for ten years, took a drug containing meldonia, so I did not think that the substance can be banned:

For the past ten years, I've been taking a drug called "Mildronate," which the family doctor gave me. A few days after the letter, I learned that the drug has a different name - meldonia, which I did not know about. For ten years he was not included in the list of banned, and I accepted it legally, but since January 1, the rules have changed, and he became a prohibited drug

According to the lawyer Maria, she took the drug on the recommendation of the doctor since 2006: the sportswoman doctors found a low level of magnesium and a predisposition to diabetes, which affects her relatives.

Former Sharapova coach Jeff Tarango told reporters that his ward had problems with cardiology, and she needed vitamins that strengthened her heart.

Nike breaks the contract with Sharapova because of Mildonia.