Athletic administrators say drug inquiry pointless

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 45

Athletic administrators say drug inquiry pointless

PA Wellington New Zealand track and field administrators said yesterday the former marathoner, Rod Dixon’s calls for an official inquiry into drug-taking were pointless. Dixon said from Auckland yesterday that New Zealand should follow the example of the Canadian, Australian and English inquiries which followed the Canadian sprinter, Ben Johnson’s positive testing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

"We need to establish what we are doing — certain guidelines need to become adopted by federations in this country,” Dixon said. “There should be strict controls and severe penalties for drug abuse to provide more of a deterrent." But the athletic association chairman, Peter Richards, said track and field, as one of the 10 sports at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, had already set in

place a random drug testing programme which would begin next month. “New Zealand sport is coming to grips with drug test-

ing,” he said from Palmerston North yesterday. “In the last six months, we have set up a programme which puts us in a leading position in the world.” Dixon said in a radio interview that the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games discus gold medallist, Robin Tait regularly used performance - enhancing drugs. And although Dixon said he didn’t want to call for an individual witch-hunt, the past had to be considered when dealing with the present situation. “I’m not saying we should go into the past and I don’t want to create something out of the death of Robin Tait. He should be left to rest in peace,” Dixon said. “But if we don’t acknowledge what has gone on in the past, how can we set guidelines now?” The Canadian shot putter, Bruce Pirnie, claimed last month at the Canadian inquiry that Tait, whose official cause of death in 1985 was pancreatic cancer, was a heavy user of anabolic steroids.

“Robin Tait didn't die of drug abuse — he died of alcohol abuse. That’s on the coroner’s report,” Dixon said. “For us to imagine it doesn't happen here when it is so widespread elsewhere is ridiculous,” Dixon said. “I'm not saying it’s at the same level as it is in Canada, or overseas. In fact, I would say it’s a hell of lot cleaner than most other countries.” Richards was also reluctant to delve into the past: “The N.Z.A.A.A. isn't interested in what happened 15 or 20 years ago. People may have had stories to tell then, but no-one ever lodged a complaint,” he said, adding, that in those days, while performance-en-hancing drugs were banned, there were no testing procedures. “Robin Tait may have been one of thousands throughout the world taking drugs at that level.” Richards said Dixon’s calls for a New Zealand inquiry served no purpose. “Rod has had little or no contact with athletics administration and hasn’t come to grips with what is now happening in New Zealand.

“I really see little value in going over the past. If a person had tested positively in the last few months and there was some fear of contamination, maybe then an inquiry would be worthwhile. “But I can’t see the value in it now we’ve taken the neccessary steps to eradicate it if there is a problem.” The random drug-testing programme, initiated by the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, includes the 10 Auckland Commonwealth Games sports, and will continue past the games, widening to include Olympic sports by the 1992 Barcelona Games. But Richards said he doubted whether New Zealand’s market of potential users of performance-enhanc-ing drugs would ever be large enough for it to become a problem. “Taking drugs is an expensive issue, and the only way athletes can afford it is if there is the financial reward there at the end.” Few New Zealanders, in any sport, reached that level, he added.