The full text of the tribunal's verdict from Greg Rusedski's drugs hearing, and his reaction to being cleared.
ATP TRIBUNAL STATEMENT
Late on Tuesday, 9 March, the ATP Anti-Doping Tribunal rendered their decision
in the case of Mr Greg Rusedski. The Tribunal held:
"The player is exonerated of the finding by the Review Board that he
committed a Doping Offence under Section C1a of the Rules of the Tennis
Anti-Doping Programme, there being no evidence supporting such a finding."
Consequently, the Tribunal held, unanimously and unequivocally, that Mr
Rusedski was not guilty of a doping offence.
The basis:
The basis of the exoneration rests upon the unique circumstances of the case
and of the unique circumstances pertaining in tennis.
In the Bohdan Ulihrach case it was disclosed that the player was likely to
have tested positive based upon substances given to him by his own governing
body, the ATP.
Mr Rusedski took exactly the same substances and attributed his finding, also,
to material given to him by the ATP.
As such he argued that it was unfair that the ATP should seek to prosecute him
for substances which they themselves had given him, and which in all probability
had caused him to test positive.
In this case the ATP argued unsuccessfully that Mr Rusedski could be held to
be positive as he must be taken to have known that he should not take substances
given to him by the ATP. The Tribunal unanimously rejected this contention.
It held: "The ATP could have - and should have - taken steps to notify its
players in a "meaningful" and "direct" way of the reasons for its decision
to cease distributing the electrolyte tablets that it had previously handed out
so freely."
In these circumstances the Tribunal held the ATP could not in fairness
prosecute this case as: "it created the underlying situation in the first
place, by distributing tablets that, on the best available scientific evidence,
appeared to have been contaminated by prohibited substances".
As such, the Tribunal unanimously held that there was no evidence supporting
the commission of a Doping Offence and that Mr Rusedski must be exonerated.
RUSEDSKI STATEMENT
"The verdict was clear and unequivocal. This is an enormous relief to me and
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife Lucy, my family, my legal
team Mark Gay and David Pannick QC, Donnay and all my friends for standing by me
and believing in my innocence.
"Their constant love, support and loyalty gave me the strength to get through
this ordeal.
"I have also been tremendously encouraged by the overwhelmingly favourable
reaction of the general public.
"To be allowed to carry on playing competitive tennis and to clear my name
has been my priority throughout and now I am looking forward to resuming my
career."