Efimova’s Former Coach: “Only Doctors Can Be Blamed”

The former coach of Yulia Efimova, the Russian World Champion whose reportedly positive meldonium test hit mainstream news yesterday, has offered up her comments regarding the precarious situation.

Coach Irina Vyatchanina, who now carries World Junior Champion Viktoria Gunes (Turkey) under her tutelage, coached Efimova until 2011 when the breaststroking star decided to move to the U.S. and train under current coach Dave Salo of Trojan Swim Club/University of Southern California.

Vyatchanina told Russian news outlet TASS that “only doctors can be blamed for the situation with Yulia. They [doctors] were aware of the problem since last September. They should have done everything possible to get the drug out of the swimmer’s body system.”

Specific to Efimova’s situation, Vyatchanina continued, “I just cannot imagine how they could allow an athlete of such high level and significance as Yulia Yefimova to be caught with such trifle as meldonium. This is the substance, which the whole world has been warning against since last autumn.” (TASS)

As anticipated in October of 2015, heart attack drug meldonium was added to the WADA prohibited list effective January 1. The substance can reportedly be utilized as a metabolic enhancer which increases endurance. WADA began monitoring Meldonium in 2015, adding the drug to its “Monitoring Program” to determine how widespread its use was within sport and what effects it could have on athletic performance. WADA’s findings concluded that there is ‘evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance.’

“An investigation is necessary,” stated Vyatchanina. “How could specialists not know about the threat of meldonium? Yulia also has a personal coach, who is her father. He should have kept everything under control.”

“This is his main responsibility since he was not fully involved in the actual training process,” Vyatchanina said. “When I used to coach Yefimova I knew very well about all of her medical programs and drugs she consumed.”

The Russian Swimming Federation acknowledged today that Efimova is under temporary suspension in a connection with a possible anti-doping violation.

In connection with the publication appeared in the media concerning Yulia Efimova, All-Russian Swimming Federation informs that it has received from the International Federation of FINA (FINA) documents confirming the temporary suspension from competitions athletes in connection with a possible anti-doping rule violation.

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coachd
8 years ago

This sheds some light at how Russia works in sports… obviously, athletes are informed by doctors and coaches what they can take in order to enhance performance without being caught… The German TV investigations reveal the same, and that this is extensively done all over Russia an basically any olympic sport… not only the track and field guys should be suspended, the whole country. They have repeatedly cases of young swimmers with positive test results, some only 14 if I remember correctly, a lot of them for sure in the age range for junior europeans. This is a crime beyond words… Actions should be taken quickly by FINA, but as always they will play down everything. Remember Marculescu saying that… Read more »

skeptic
8 years ago

Or perhaps it’s just another data point in the trend of doping swimmers caught at USC. When will people clue into what they’re allowing under Salo??

JohnFrog
8 years ago

She should never allowed to compete again. Let’s see how serious the officials are about doping. I suspect not very serious just as they are about all the rules. Corrupt again and still. We’ll see.

ct swim fan
8 years ago

I am trying to figure out another reason a world class athlete is taking a drug used by people with heart problems. No other use comes to mind except she was using it to increase blood flow and improve exercise capacity, in other words, since the drug is now banned, she was cheating. Good riddance.

VikkiB
Reply to  ct swim fan
7 years ago

Except that since none knows how long it stays in th body, she may very well have taken it BEFORE it was banned. It doesn’t make what she did right, but it also doesn’t make it wrong in terms of legality.

TA
8 years ago

This coach should be insta-banned for life for these statements. She coached her as a teenager according to this timeline and admits she was involved with the swimmers “medical programs and drugs”. Wtf kind of statement is that. The whole country of Russia should sit on the sidelines for 4 years until they figure out how to do things right.

gogo
Reply to  TA
8 years ago

Can you IMAGINE how tight all these swimming associations would become if the rules were changed and the whole country would be banned (for however long) from the sport if one of their athletes was found doping. Obviously very extreme but an interesting thought nonetheless.

Athens Swimmer
8 years ago

Being an athlete that was on the WADA and USADA drug testing lists for a couple years, you learn RIGHT AWAY to question EVERYTHING that goes into your body. I have been doing that since I first made an international team at age 15. One of the first things we get taught on an international team is that any and all medications and supplements should be checked with USADA and WADA and any other governing body you may get tested with. Even now when I go to the doctor I only take medications when I am absolutely dying and I ask them what is being given and will go home and do research before I even put anything into my… Read more »

swammer
Reply to  Athens Swimmer
8 years ago

Dana Vollmer?

ERVINFORTHEWIN
8 years ago

I would love to see Park and Efimove out for good – thats it – no debate – clear cut decisions . Lets them change profession – at 23 or even 28 , anyone can manage another life – Armstrong didn’t stop living after he was found guilty – so no reason to push towards very serious sanctions .

Mac
8 years ago

Sad. Very sad. Is she world class due to PED? Or is she getting that last 1% by PED? Either way, I’ve lost all respect and would like her banned for life. This slap on the wrist stuff must stop if we want to clean up our sport.

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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