OLYMPIC HERO DENIES DRUG CLAIM

Olympic equestrian champion Mark Todd is taking legal advice over drugs and
sex allegations in a British newspaper.

The Sunday Mirror claims that the double gold medallist took cocaine and
boasted about beating Olympics drug tests.

Todd says the allegations are an "unjustifiable and disgraceful intrusion"
into his private life and that he is the victim of a setup.

The allegations threaten Todd's brilliant sporting career, just a week
before his near-certain inclusion in the New Zealand team for the Sydney
Olympics.

Games officials said the claims would affect his selection if they were
true, while Todd's friends dismissed the story as a smear campaign.

The Sunday Mirror, in a detailed account spread over three pages of
yesterday's issue, claims that Todd - a New Zealand sporting legend who won
Olympic gold in 1984 and 1988, holds a CBE and is a friend of the royal
family - was caught out by a man it identified as "David."

It says Todd asked David, "Do you want a line of coke? I enjoy smoking
grass best of all but I can't do this because it stays in the system for
about three weeks or so.

"We have been told we would be tested before the Olympics."

The paper says Todd, who was made an MBE by the Queen in 1984 and a CBE in
1995, added: "My favourite drug of all is Ecstasy."

Last night, a spokeswoman for Todd said he was consulting his lawyers about
the allegations.

He had been the victim of a "squalid tabloid newspaper setup."

"For legal reasons, in these circumstances he has been advised not to make
any comment on the many distortions and untruths in the story, which has
caused great distress to his family and to him."

Jim Wright, chairman of the eventing selectors for the New Zealand
Equestrian Federation, said the drug-taking allegations could affect Todd's
position on the team if proved true.

"Anything this serious will be seriously considered by the selectors.
Undoubtedly, it is of concern. In my perspective on how things work,
everything affects selection."

He had not seen the Sunday Mirror story, but would investigate the matter
before the equestrian squad was named.

Four selectors pick the squad, but those chosen go through a verification
process before their names are officially released by the New Zealand
Olympic Committee early next month.

Mike Hooper, secretary-general of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, said
it conferred with the federation and factors other than performance could
be taken into account.

He would not comment on the allegations involving Todd, but said:
"Performance is the fundamental criteria but we do have the ability to take
other factors into account.

"At this stage we have not sat down with the NZ Equestrian Federation, but
once they have made their selection we will meet with them."

People within equestrian circles last night expressed disbelief at the
allegations.

"I am absolutely gobsmacked. I don't believe a word of it," said one
friend. "I saw Mark about three weeks ago in the United Kingdom. He was
very happy with [wife] Carolyn. He adores his kids."

The friend said Todd was looking forward to returning to New Zealand after
the Olympics.

A former New Zealand equestrian, who does not want to be named, dismissed
the allegations as "utter crap."

"This is history repeating itself ... These sort of stories have been going
around for years."

A Badminton horse trials official said he was appalled by the allegations.

"I have known him since he first came to Badminton 20 years ago. He's a
wonderful chap and what Badminton director Hugh Thomas said about Mark last
month sums up what people think about him," Jim Gilmour said.

Thomas had said that Todd had made a priceless contribution to the
equestrian sport in Britain.

"We will miss him. He is a great rider - the best I have ever seen. He is a
wonderful person ... He has been an adornment to the sport."

Mr Thomas said it was a pity that Helen Clark's Government had axed the
British honours system, otherwise Todd could have been knighted.