Winter Olympics: Baxter fails drug test
Tuesday, 5 March 2002 18:47British skier Alain Baxter has tested positive for the banned substance methamphetamine. Baxter won a bronze medal in the men's slalom at the Winter Olympics and now faces the possibility of being stripped of the medal.
In a statement, the Scottish athlete said: "Late on Friday afternoon I was telephoned by Simon Clegg, Team GB's Chef de Mission who told me that he had been advised by the IOC's inquiry commission that the sample I had produced following my slalom performance at the games contained traces of a banned substance.
"Naturally I am devastated by this news. I have therefore decided to make public that I am the athlete in question because I have never knowingly taken any medicine or substance to improve my performance and as such believe that I am entirely innocent.
"I am now working with lawyers and medical experts to present my case to the IOC's inquiry commission which I am advised is unlikely to convene until next week, with a view to defending myself successfully against the charges of doping. I do not intend to conduct my defence through the media and as such I am not making myself available for interview and will not be making any further statement on this matter until the IOC's inquiry and disciplinary commissions have ruled on my case."
Filed by Tom Grealis
