Maria Sharapova on provisional Russian roster for Olympics
Maria Sharapova is on the Russian team headed for the 2016 Summer Olympics. At least for now.
The Russian Tennis Federation has placed Sharapova on its preliminary roster pending the outcome of her doping case, the Tass news agency reports.
At present, the tennis star has been provisionally suspended for testing positive for meldonium, a heart medication that was recently added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.
There have been questions about the current testing and whether athletes who ingested the drug prior to its Jan. 1 ban might still test positive months later.
The Russians have expressed hope that Sharapova, who won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, will be cleared to resume playing in time for the Rio de Janeiro Games, which begin Aug. 5.
MORE SPORTS NEWS
Japanese Olympic officials name panel to investigate payment
Former investment firm executive Jim Ford joins L.A. Olympic bid committee
Olympic champion high jumper from Russia among suspected dopers, report says
david.wharton@latimes.com
Twitter: @LATimesWharton
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.