DRUG TESTS UPSET CARDS

Bridge Officials Strip U.S. Medalist for Refusing Olympic-Style Test

The world of bridge was in uproar yesterday after a drug scandal at
the world open championships that wrapped up in Montreal this weekend.

Disa Eythorsdottir, a professional from the United States, was
stripped of her silver medal for refusing to take a drug test.

The World Bridge Federation was forced to hold an unprecedented
emergency meeting to determine how to discipline her.

Random drug testing for bridge players at world championships was
introduced in January 2000 as part of the WBF campaign for bridge to
become an Olympic sport.

Four U.S. team members in the McConnell Cup division were chosen for
the tests but Eythorsdottir, who is originally from Iceland, refused.

Close to tears, she said: "They have taken everything, my medal, my
name.

"I am on a diet drug connected with a back condition. I asked the
authorities whether the drug was on the banned list and they did not
know.

"The drug is on prescription but I did not obtain a certificate to
cover it."

There are no prohibited performance-enhancing drugs for bridge, so the
WBF relies on the list of banned substances supplied by the
International Olympic Committee.

Jose Damiani, WBF president, said: "Since we introduced random testing
two players have failed, but both so narrowly that we did not publish
the names, informing only the player and their federation of the problem.

"However, she (Eythorsdottir) refused the test. She is deemed to have
failed the test. Her medal has been removed and her name has been
referred to her federation."

Eythorsdottir, who is well-known in the bridge world, is from Iceland
but married an American, Curtis Cheek, and is eligible to represent
the U.S.

She had to stand aside as her five teammates received their
medals.

The WBF suffered another blow on Thursday when the International
Olympic Committee executive board rejected an application to make
bridge an Olympic sport.

The tournament ended with a victory by Italians Fulvio Fantoni and
Claudio Nunes in the open pairs category.

Last week, a team that included Canadians Boris Baran and George
Mittelman won the open seniors competition.

In his closing speech on Saturday, American Contract Bridge League
president George Retek said he was disappointed with the low number of
participants at the championships, particularly in the junior and
women's categories. Organizers were hoping U.S. players would flock to
Montreal, but Retek said that travel fears following Sept. 11, coupled
with a weak economy, discouraged many of them from coming.