CANADIAN VOWS TO DON GAS MASK NEAR DOPE-SMOKING FRIENDS

NAGANO, - Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, a wiser athlete after
regaining his gold medal, vowed on Friday to wear a gas mask in future
around any dope-smoking friends.

In his first full appearance before the media since he won-lost-won his
medal over a positive marijuana test after the nowboarding giant slalom
last Sunday.

Rebagliati, disqualified on Wednesday and reinstated the next day under a
sports arbitration panel ruling, said his experience provided the best and
worst moments of his life.

``I'm definitely going to change my lifestyle. I'm not going to change my
friends,'' said Rebagliati, who argued in his appeal against
disqualification that second-hand smoke at a party last December was the
reason his body showed marijuana use.

``I might have to wear a gas mask around them (friends) from now own,''
Rebagliati said to laughter.

Rebagliati parried questions about whether he would now become an
anti-drugs crusader, saying people made their own choices in life and lived
with the consequences.

But he said the incident in which he was involved sent a strong anti-drugs
message.

``I'm ready to stand behind that 100 percent,'' he said.

Rebagliati said that until he last smoked a marijuana joint last April he
``occasionally used marijuana.''

``It didn't rule my life. It was a source of activity,'' he said.

Asked if he was bitter and wanted an apology from the Olympic movement,
Rebagliati said he felt he had won his precious medal twice -- once in
competition and again when he won his appeal.

``It was the best moment of my life. It was the worst moment of my life,''
Rebagliati said.