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World Anti-Doping Agency says 99 meldonium cases this year

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, file photo, Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after defeating Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Sharapova's racket supplier became the first main sponsor to publicly back the five-time Grand Slam champion after she admitted to failing a doping test. Austria-based company Head announced Thursday, March 10, 2016, it was planning to extend its sponsorship deal, three days after Sharapova revealed her use of the banned substance meldonium. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, file photo, Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after defeating Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Sharapova's racket supplier became the first main sponsor to publicly back the five-time Grand Slam champion after she admitted to failing a doping test. Austria-based company Head announced Thursday, March 10, 2016, it was planning to extend its sponsorship deal, three days after Sharapova revealed her use of the banned substance meldonium. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

By Associated Press March 11, 2016 1 min read

MOSCOW (AP) – The World Anti-Doping Agency says there have been 99 positive tests this year for meldonium, the drug found in Maria Sharapova’s sample at the Australian Open.

WADA spokesman Ben Nichols tells The Associated Press in an e-mail that since the drug was banned on Jan. 1 “there have been 99 adverse analytical findings for Meldonium recorded.”

Nichols did not provide details of who has tested positive.

Seven of the 16 confirmed cases come from Russian athletes, including Sharapova.