LAMAZE KEPT OUT OF GAMES

Eric Lamaze will not ride for Canada.

The Canadian Olympic Association announced at 2 a.m. Toronto time that the
equestrian would be kept off the team at the Sydney Games, despite the
lifting this week of his lifetime ban for drug use. Canadians had reacted
with outrage at the prospect of Lamaze representing Canada despite his
positive cocaine test.

Thousands voiced their opinions in a Star telephone and Internet poll, as
well as a CBC survey after an adjudicator overturned the ban Monday.

Late last night, the COA delayed its decision on reinstating Lamaze, leading
to speculation that his opponents in the COA have been emboldened by the
public show of anger.

Lamaze's lawyer Tim Danson said last night he was not confident his client
had been able to persuade the assocation that he should go to Sydney.

``Clearly, the most significant victory was that he was reinstated,'' an
exhausted Danson said in Toronto. ``He can compete, he can make a living, he
can pay his mortgage - he can get on with his life.''

Lamaze remained in his Schomberg home last night, refusing to talk to
reporters. He was considered one of Canada's top hopes for a medal.

But many Canadians appear unconvinced by his claims that a lifetime ban for
drug use nearly drove him to suicide. Two surveys, on StarPhone and
http://www.thestar.com, showed an overwhelming negative reaction to the
prospect of Lamaze competing for Canada. Of 7,091 people, 4,860 ,or 69 per
cent, indicated he should not be allowed to compete.

This result paralleled a CBC survey, which asked viewers of its Olympic
coverage to respond on its Web site yesterday.

Of the 1,249 votes cast, 69 per cent were not in favour of his
participation.

The anger was stirred up on Monday, when adjudicator Ed Ratushny accepted
the ``exceptional circumstances'' surrounding Lamaze's recent use of cocaine
and lifted the Canadian's lifetime ban from show-jumping competition.

Ratushny accepted Lamaze's explanation that the athlete took cocaine when he
was told he was banned for life after testing positive for a banned
substance he mistakenly ingested through a dietary supplement.

Ratushny said Lamaze did not do cocaine in an effort to cheat at his sport
and he appeared to lay some of the blame for Lamaze's actions at the feet of
Dr. Andrew Pipe.

Pipe, who is chair of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and the Doping
Control Review Board, suspended Lamaze for life on Aug. 18 for using a diet
supplement which contained pseudoephedrine - which is contained in Advil
cold and sinus remedy - and ephedrine.

Lamaze apparently did not know that because of a labelling error.

He fell into depression and contemplated suicide before the first ban was
quietly lifted Aug. 24. Lamaze admits he took the cocaine that sparked the
second ban, but argued there were ``catastrophic circumstances'' that led to
the drug use. He was also dropped from the Olympic team in 1996 because he
had used cocaine, a decision later overturned.

The discussion on The Star's Web site was heated yesterday, with much of the
negative reaction falling somewhere between disgust for Lamaze's cocaine use
and derision toward a drug-testing regime that ``sends a message to other
athletes that it's okay to be caught with banned substances in your body,''
wrote Dr. John Strauss from the University of Pittsburgh.

One writer was heartbroken. ``I have been an avid member of the Canadian
riding world for several years,'' wrote Skye. ``Eric Lamaze was an idol to
myself and all of the younger riders since we were kids.

``I will not be a proud Canadian if Eric Lamaze wins anything in Sydney . .
. He is no longer an idol or hero to the riding world. Today he is a
disgrace and so are those who are letting him go.''

Others noted that cocaine is illegal to use, illegal to possess, and
therefore Lamaze is out of luck. ``If I take cocaine,'' reasoned Jeff
Hartman of Toronto, ``I get charged and end up in prison. I wouldn't have a
chance to get `reinstated,' and I certainly wouldn't end up in the Olympics.
But if that's a new policy, well, where do I sign up?''

Some on the Star Web site, however, took pity on Lamaze. They highlighted
what has become known about his childhood - about how his mother was a
cocaine trafficker, about how he took many drugs, including LSD, marijuana
and ``magic mushrooms'' before he was a teenager.

``Perhaps the moralists who are so dead set against him performing should
walk a mile in his shoes,'' said one.

``He deserves a break,'' said another.

One reader, Deb Kennedy, wrote that B.C. snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, who
temporarily lost a gold medal at the Nagano Olympics for testing positive
for marijuana, became ``something of a folk hero.''

``Funny what gold medals will do. Go win gold for us, Eric.''

But the prospect of Lamaze coming to Sydney has irked some members of
Canada's show jumping team.

Calgary's Jonathan Asselin, who was to take Lamaze's place on the team, is
furious at the ruling. ``My feelings are that there's been a double standard
here,'' Asselin said from Sydney yesterday.

``We all signed an agreement with the Canadian Equestrian Federation to
conduct ourselves properly - to not use drugs. I'm really perturbed,''
Asselin added. ``(Lamaze) has had two infractions in the past six weeks and
somehow he keeps slipping through the cracks.''

Asselin says riders from other countries have been kidding the Canadians all
week, asking them if they had ``snorted.''

Show jumper Jay Hayes of Cheltenham, who will ride Diva for the Canadian
team, shared Asselin's disgust.

``I'm appalled. I have three young daughters,'' Hayes said. ``It's not the
first time but I hope it's the last time that he's let his team and country
down.''

Canadian jumping team chef d'equipe Terrance Millar says the worst part of
it all is waiting for a decision from the COA.

``The uncertainty is probably the worst thing. Once this is resolved we'll
be a happy group,'' he said from Sydney.

Millar says there's no doubt Lamaze is a major part of the team. Lamaze and
his horse Millcreek Raphael won the last two of four Olympic trials in
Canada and were being touted as strong medal contenders.

``Eric and his horse had a terrific year so they were really counted on as a
major component on this team,'' Millar said. ``We were certainly dismayed
when this crisis arose.''