Argentina’s Puerta denies taking banned drugs

By Rex Gowar and Alastair Himmer

LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) – Argentina’s Mariano Puerta denied
a report on Wednesday that he had taken a banned drug and
tested positive at this year’s French Open where he reached the
singles final.

“I’m really angry, I’ve started investigations with my
lawyers. This is a very delicate subject, there’s no truth in
it,” said Puerta, who faces a life ban if guilty after failing
a doping test two years ago.

“It’s news to me,” Puerta told Reuters by telephone from
Tokyo. “In my opinion, it’s strange because nobody from the ATP
or ITF has called me.”

Puerta, ranked 10th in the world and top seed at the Japan
Open, had just won his second round match in the tournament in
Tokyo 6-3 6-4 against Eric Taino of the U.S. He is pushing for
a place in the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai.

He said it came like a bombshell when Reuters told him of
Wednesday’s report in the French sports newspaper L’Equipe.

Traces of a stimulant called etilefrine were found in a
urine sample from Puerta taken after his French Open final
defeat by Spain’s Rafael Nadal, L’Equipe said.

“It’s crazy,” added Puerta, who was suspended for nine
months after testing positive for the banned substance
clenbuterol in 2003.

WITHOUT PROOF

The French Open organizers were unavailable for immediate
comment. An ITF source said he would not expect an official
announcement on any possible positive test at Roland Garros
before late November.

The ITF, the game’s ruling body, is in charge of drug
testing at the four grand slam tournaments. A player would
normally be informed that the first of two samples had proved
positive within three weeks of the end of the event.

“The newspapers can say anything without proof. I haven’t
taken anything I shouldn’t,” Puerta said.

“When I tested positive two years ago, they called me and
told me,” said the 27-year-old. “Nobody has called me, so I
don’t know anything and I can’t say anything.

“I’m just in Tokyo playing and trying to do my best. I have
no idea where this comes from.”

He added: “There was a rumor going round that it was one of
the 14 Argentines at the French Open. If there’s an Argentine
who was positive let them find him.

“After the (previous) positive I’ve got to be very careful,
I can’t even take an orange juice.

“I can’t drink anything. It’s too dangerous.”

Other players were concerned that so long had elapsed
between the alleged positive test and an official announcement.

“If we learn that a player (who tested positive) was able
to play for five months (after the test), then those who lost
to him during that period will feel that they were beaten by a
player on drugs. That’s a real problem,” said Arnaud Clement.

Frenchman Fabice Santoro agreed. “The procedure when a
player tests positive must be changed,” he told Reuters.

Puerta lost the French Open final on June 5 to Spain’s
Rafael Nadal 6-7 6-3 6-1 7-5.

L’Equipe also reported in August that seven-time Tour de
France winner Lance Armstrong had been discovered to have taken
the illegal blood-boosting EPO in 1999 but the sport’s
governing body has yet to take any action over the paper’s
claims.

Armstrong has consistently denied ever cheating.

Fellow Argentine Guillermo Canas was banned for two years
in August after failing a doping test. Guillermo Coria and Juan
Ignacio Chela are other Argentines to have served suspensions.