Defamation settlement benefits asthma group

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 9

Defamation settlement benefits asthma group

PA Wellington The Auckland sports medicine expert, Dr Lloyd Drake, will pay $5OOO to the Asthma Foundation as part of the settlement of a defamation case brought by the Olympic team doctors, Drs David Gerrard and Richard Edmond. Dr Drake told the “Auckland Star” during the Seoul Olympics two months ago that the team doctors knew of members of the New Zealand team who had returned positive drug tests before the Olympics but the matter had

been swept under the carpet. In a recent statement, Dr Drake accepted that no official drug tests had been conducted on the New Zealand team before they left for South Korea and unofficial tests on members of the yachting squad before the team was selected had all returned negative results. Dr Drake withdrew his allegations and apologised to the two doctors, their families and members of the New Zealand team, a statement from Drs Gerrard and Edmond noted

yesterday. They said they had agreed to accept the apology in settlement of their claim. In addition, as part of the settlement, Dr Drake would be required to pay $5OOO to the Asthma Foundation and meet the Olym-, pic team doctors’ full legal costs. The team doctors said they were “pleased that the matter was now at an end and that the shadow of Dr Drake’s comments had been lifted from themselves, their families and members of the New Zealand Olympic team.”