The ITIA has confirmed that a physiotherapist working at the Mouratoglou Academy was the one who recommended the supplement to Simona Halep, which led to the doping incident.
In a 126-page document, the ITIA presents the accusations and the defense presented by Halep during a hearing in London on June 28th and 29th. Halep argues that the presence of roxadustat, a prohibited substance in her body, was the result of contamination of a collagen supplement she began taking in August 2022.
According to Halep, neither she nor her team had reasonable grounds to suspect this contamination.
Physiotherapist Candice Gohier, who joined Halep's team in April 2022, was the person who recommended the collagen supplement. In August 2022, while Halep was recovering from a right thigh injury and still had hopes for the US Open, Gohier suggested adding the collagen supplement to her diet since she wasn't taking any supplements at that time.
This recommendation was based on a suggestion from Frederic Lefebvre, the director of the physical training department at the Mouratoglou Academy. Halep consulted with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who assured her that the products were safe to use, as they did not contain prohibited substances on the label and did not appear to be risky.
Former world No. 1 also made sure that the supplements were reviewed and recommended by specialists in the field. Gohier ordered the supplements on August 16, 2022, and the distributor sent them directly to New York, where Halep began using them in mid-August.
The document mentions three supplements in question: an electrolyte drink (Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium), a recovery supplement, and Keto MCT (a medium-chain fatty acid supplement), and marine collagen powder. While the supplements are mentioned, the company that markets them has been censored in the report.
However, it has been discovered that the company from which Halep purchased the supplements is Quantum Nutrition, based in Ontario, Canada. The ketogenic collagen powder that Halep consumed is sold under the name "Schinoussa," named after a Greek island.
So Patrick Mouratoglou was involved in suggesting Simona Halep to replace her supplements. That guy is such a shady person. I hope all WTA AND ATP players take a note of this and cut ties with that guy.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has published the full decision of the independent tribunal in the case of Simona Halep.
