Danny
15-10-2005, 06:51 AM
It seems taking the option of making yourself sound like an absolute pork chop is preferable over admitting to steroid use these days.
Baggaley insists he must have unknowingly had a friends drink that had the TWO steroids in it......
I am all for innocent till proven guilty, but the evidence is in, and to come up with that excuse is insulting!
Baggaley positive juice was tainted
By Jacquelin Magnay
October 15, 2005
SMH
As excuses go, it has divided the canoeing community. Nathan Baggaley, a triple world champion and Olympic silver medal kayaker, thinks he tested positive to drugs because he inadvertently took a drink that contained two different steroids.
Baggaley has told close friends that a family member had been recovering from an injury and was taking medication that might have included the steroids stanozolol and methandienone. He said the relative had mixed the drugs with juice and put it in the fridge and Baggaley had unwittingly drunk the juice after training.
If this is the explanation Baggaley presents to the joint drugs hearing convened by Australian Canoeing and Surf Life Saving Australia, possibly as early as next week, he faces a ban from the sport for two years. The World Anti-Doping Agency enforces a strict liability provision. Shorter sanctions apply only if exceptional circumstances are proved.
Baggaley yesterday confirmed he had returned a positive test but denied he had intentionally taken an illegal substance: "I don't take drugs. I've never taken drugs," he told Channel Nine.
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He released a statement yesterday through lawyer Tony O'Reilly, who will represent him at the hearing. "We are instructed that Nathan had never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug," it said.
"Nathan has been drug-tested a large number of times in his career - including as recently as two months ago - and all such previous tests have been negative.
"The investigations that have been undertaken since Nathan was informed of the positive test have established how the relevant substances came to be present in Nathan's body. Nathan is looking forward to establishing in any hearing that is conducted by Surf Life Saving Australia or Australian Canoeing that he did not knowingly take a performance-enhancing substance."
The sport has been shocked at the results of samples taken on September 13 during an out-of-competition test by the Australian Sports Drug Agency. Baggaley was tested because he is on a register of elite athletes - by virtue of his world-class kayaking - and therefore the Australian Canoeing drug policy, which is WADA compliant, will take precedence.
Under this policy, the sport can elect to hold its own tribunal or, in order to short-cut any appeal, refer the matter directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is likely WADA will appeal against any result less than the mandatory two-year ban because of the type of drugs found.
Traditionally, the sports' own tribunal tends to take a sympathetic view, which is then reversed by the international federation or WADA.
Baggaley's explanation of what caused his positive test caused mixed reactions in kayaking's tight-knit community. "It is a huge shame for the sport because he has been the shining star," said one former national team member.
Baggaley's K2 Olympic silver medal-winning partner, Clint Robinson, said he had spoken to the paddler yesterday and the kayaker was still "in shock".
Baggaley has waived his right to have the B sample tested, which is offered as a back-up to confirm the original test results.
Australian Canoeing chief executive Robert Barnes said the test result "was not good news for the sport and not good news for Nathan", adding "everyone will react in their own particular way, but it isn't good".
The previous drug controversy in the sport was a cannabis offence in 2003 just before the Athens Olympics qualifying events.
Australian Sports Commission spokesman Peter Logue said the commission was taking legal advice as to the position of Baggaley's Australian Institute of Sport scholarship. Baggaley, Byron Bay raised but who trains on the Gold Coast, has been receiving government funding through the AIS and the NSW Institute of Sport since 1996.
Baggaley insists he must have unknowingly had a friends drink that had the TWO steroids in it......
I am all for innocent till proven guilty, but the evidence is in, and to come up with that excuse is insulting!
Baggaley positive juice was tainted
By Jacquelin Magnay
October 15, 2005
SMH
As excuses go, it has divided the canoeing community. Nathan Baggaley, a triple world champion and Olympic silver medal kayaker, thinks he tested positive to drugs because he inadvertently took a drink that contained two different steroids.
Baggaley has told close friends that a family member had been recovering from an injury and was taking medication that might have included the steroids stanozolol and methandienone. He said the relative had mixed the drugs with juice and put it in the fridge and Baggaley had unwittingly drunk the juice after training.
If this is the explanation Baggaley presents to the joint drugs hearing convened by Australian Canoeing and Surf Life Saving Australia, possibly as early as next week, he faces a ban from the sport for two years. The World Anti-Doping Agency enforces a strict liability provision. Shorter sanctions apply only if exceptional circumstances are proved.
Baggaley yesterday confirmed he had returned a positive test but denied he had intentionally taken an illegal substance: "I don't take drugs. I've never taken drugs," he told Channel Nine.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
He released a statement yesterday through lawyer Tony O'Reilly, who will represent him at the hearing. "We are instructed that Nathan had never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug," it said.
"Nathan has been drug-tested a large number of times in his career - including as recently as two months ago - and all such previous tests have been negative.
"The investigations that have been undertaken since Nathan was informed of the positive test have established how the relevant substances came to be present in Nathan's body. Nathan is looking forward to establishing in any hearing that is conducted by Surf Life Saving Australia or Australian Canoeing that he did not knowingly take a performance-enhancing substance."
The sport has been shocked at the results of samples taken on September 13 during an out-of-competition test by the Australian Sports Drug Agency. Baggaley was tested because he is on a register of elite athletes - by virtue of his world-class kayaking - and therefore the Australian Canoeing drug policy, which is WADA compliant, will take precedence.
Under this policy, the sport can elect to hold its own tribunal or, in order to short-cut any appeal, refer the matter directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is likely WADA will appeal against any result less than the mandatory two-year ban because of the type of drugs found.
Traditionally, the sports' own tribunal tends to take a sympathetic view, which is then reversed by the international federation or WADA.
Baggaley's explanation of what caused his positive test caused mixed reactions in kayaking's tight-knit community. "It is a huge shame for the sport because he has been the shining star," said one former national team member.
Baggaley's K2 Olympic silver medal-winning partner, Clint Robinson, said he had spoken to the paddler yesterday and the kayaker was still "in shock".
Baggaley has waived his right to have the B sample tested, which is offered as a back-up to confirm the original test results.
Australian Canoeing chief executive Robert Barnes said the test result "was not good news for the sport and not good news for Nathan", adding "everyone will react in their own particular way, but it isn't good".
The previous drug controversy in the sport was a cannabis offence in 2003 just before the Athens Olympics qualifying events.
Australian Sports Commission spokesman Peter Logue said the commission was taking legal advice as to the position of Baggaley's Australian Institute of Sport scholarship. Baggaley, Byron Bay raised but who trains on the Gold Coast, has been receiving government funding through the AIS and the NSW Institute of Sport since 1996.