The Return of the "Tennis Parent" With A New Twist on "Anti"-Doping

Meet Christophe Fauvia. Part Jim Pierce, part "Cheerleading Mom" and part Tonya Harding. Last week, a French Court sentenced Fauvia to eight years in prison for drugging (and inadvertently killing) his son's junior tennis opponent. The opponent later crashed his car and died as a result. Maxime Fauvia beat Alexandre Legardarere in a "minor league" (no one told Christophe) match. Afterward, Legardarere, a 25 year-old high school teacher, complained of fatigue and slept for two hours. He then drove home. On the way, he fell asleep again, crashed, and died. Blood tests detected the anti-anxiety drug Temesta in Legardarere's blood.

Christophe's activity came to light when another opponent of Maxime's saw the elder Fauvia tampering with his water bottle. Authorities later tested the bottle and found Temesta. Fauvia faced up to twenty years in prison, charged with unintentionally causing death by administering toxic substances. At trial, he admitted that from 2000-2003, he routinely spiked his children's opponents' water with Temesta. The effects on opponents reportedly varied from dizziness and weak-knees to fainting. Fauvia took Temesta to calm his own nerves while watching his children compete.

Fauvia's family offered an interesting range of reactions. Valentine Fauviau, 16 and a rising star in French junior tennis seemed in denial: "Tired girls, yes, I saw them. But nothing more than that. I never needed anyone to help me win." Son Maxime, a little closer to the mark, added "He blew a gasket and didn't calculate all the consequences. He's too involved in tennis." Fauviau's wife, Catherine, claimed ignorance: "If I had [known], it would have been suitcases or the psychiatrist."

As her husband packs his suitcase for (a far too short eight years in ) prison, let's hope someone finds him a psychiatrist.

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