SMITH VOWS TO FIGHT CHARGES

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) - Defiant and angry, banned Olympic champion Michell
Smith insisted she is innocent of tampering with a drug test and accused
swimming authorities of conspiring to end her career.

"I'm not going to crawl under a stone and never be heard from again and not
fight against this ban," she said Friday.

FINA, swimming's governing body, suspended the triple gold medalist for four
years after determing she had spiked her urine sample with alcohol.

Smith, a hero in Ireland since her exploits at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics,
plans to clear her name at an appeals hearing and sue the swimming federation.

When asked at a news conference why swimming authorities might pursue a
vendetta against her, Smith gestured to her husband, Erik de Bruin.

"I'm married to this man," she said. "Some people think that's motive enough."

De Bruin was the Dutch champion discus thrower before testing positive for
excessive testorsterone. He was banned for four years, ending his career.

Smith said she would seek "significant damages against FINA for what can
only be described as a blatant and mischievous attempt to ruin my swimming
career and my international standing."

FINA officials were unavailable for comment on Smith's accusations or her
plans to appeal.

On Thursday, FINA ruled Smith was guilty of tampering with a urine test
taken at her home in January. The panel said the sample contained a large
quantity of alcohol, probably whiskey.

The ban includes the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the 2001 World Championships,
in effect ending the 28- year-old swimmer's career.

"I'm fighting for my reputation and for my right to go to Sydney," she told
Irish national broadcasters RTE after he news conference. "I want to be up
on the winner's blocks again..."

"I know I have never done anything in the past to put myself or my family or
my country to shame. I am determined to follow this through to the end. I
look forward to doing my country proud again."

Earlier, reading from a 12-page statement at her lawyer's offices, Smith
emphasized that the alcohol in the sample hadn't prevented the laboratory in
Barcelona, Spain, from determining that no performance- enhancing drug or
signs of drug use were present.

"I had not motive for introducing alcohol or indeed any other masking agent
into my sample, as I have never tested positive for the use of any banned
substance throughout my career," she said. "And as the laboratory has
confirmed there was no banned substance, the issue of motive does not arise."

Smith said FINA had produced no proof that she was to blame for the added
alcohol. She accused FINA of conspiring "to ensure that I did not swim again
and to ensure that, by whatever method was available to them, a ban was
imposed."

Her lawyer, Peter Lennon, said the first step would be to appeal FINA's
decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switerland. If
that fails, they might go to the European Court for Human Rights.

Smith had a mediocre record before capturing three gold medals and a bronze
at the Atlanta Games, three years after de Bruin became her coach.

While fans said her performance was a triumph of will, others pointed to
drugs. Smith has denied such charges and said she has been tested more than
any of her rivals.

FINA said her original and backup drug tests, which were stored and tested
separately, both showed high- alcohol content. This, it said, ruled out the
possibility that anyone other than Smith had tampered with the samples.

Smith's devoted circle in her native Rathcoole, west of Dublin, has remained
loyal to the woman lauded in posters as "our belle Michelle." Some said they
would donate to a defense fund if Smith wanted.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett