News for March 17, 1997


Gary Neiwand fined after testing positive for drugs

Australian sprint cyclist Gary Neiwand has tested positive to a banned stimulant, the Australian Cycling Federation (ACF) said Sunday.

The ACF said it had fined 30-year-old Neiwand 1,000 dollars (800 US) for testing positive to the banned stimulant pseudoephedrine.

While the three-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist will suffer no suspension because of the positive test, it is unclear whether his Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) scholarship will be affected.

After several weeks of speculation about Neiwand, ACF president Ray Godkin called a media conference on the opening day of the national track championships in Launceston, Tasmania.

Godkin confirmed that the world sprint champion Neiwand had tested positive at a track meeting in Wanganui, New Zealand, on January 25.

Neiwand had taken an over-the-counter medication, Coldrex, two days before the event because of flu symptoms and this contained the stimulant.

The New Zealand Sports Drugs Agency (NZSDA) tested Neiwand after the event and it is believed he contacted AIS officials the following day to tell them there was a potential problem.

Neiwand informed NZSDA officials before his urine test he had taken the flu medication.

Neiwand, who went to Japan on March 10 for the lucrative keirin series, was unavailable for comment Sunday.

He had a telephone hearing with the ACF's medical tribunal on March 12 and it informed the federation the following day the fine should be his penalty.

The ACF executive accepted the recommendation two days ago and Godkin contacted Neiwand Sunday to advise him of the penalty.

"He accepts it, with some regret," Godkin said. "We're of the view the penalty fits the crime.

"We're satisfied with Gary's explanation but I've told him his actions were inexcusable for a person with his experience."

Neiwand was fourth at last year's Atlanta Olympics in the sprint after silver at the 1992 Barcelona Games and bronze the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

He also has won the sprint in the last three Commonwealth Games.

Paris-Nice Fines Rescinded

The fines imposed on Erwan Mentheour and Luca Colombo (1,000 Swiss francs each) and on their teams La Francais des Jeux and Batik-Del Monte (10, 000 Swiss francs each) have been rescinded on further consideration by the UCI. The fines were imposed on the riders/teams for taking part in the Prologue after blood tests showing a haemocrit of more than 50% but appeared unjust since the blood test results and subsequent two-week exclusion from racing were not confirmed until the next day. The fines were not, as some reports (but not mine) suggested were not imposed for the positive blood test result -- there is no other sanction than the two-week ban -- but for the reasons stated above.