GOLDEN SNOWBOARDER STRIPPED OF HIS MEDAL

Canadian hero Rebagliati tests positive for drugs; appeal launched

NAGANO - Canada's golden snowboarder, Ross Rebagliati, has been stripped of
his gold medal after failing a drug test.

Rebagliati, a hero last weekend when he won the first gold medal in the
sport's Olympic history, tested positive for marijuana, the International
Olympic Committee said today.

Canadian Olympic officials said they are appealing the decision.

Rebagliati, 26, says he hasn't smoked marijuana since last April and claims
that he tested positive because of exposure to second-hand smoke, according
to Carol Ann Letheren, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic
Association.

``He claims the small amount is due to the significant amount of time he
spends in an environment with marijuana users,'' Letheren said today.

The IOC's decision was announced by director-general Francois Carrard.

``The athlete is disqualified and excluded with immediate effect for the
presence of marijuana metabolites,'' Carrard said.

The Canadian Olympic Association ``is hereby requested to withdraw the
medal awarded to Rebagliati,'' he added.

``The COA has declared its intention to appeal the decision to the Court of
Arbitration of Sport. The decision of that appeal must be rendered within
24 hours.''

Both urine samples provided by Rebagliati tested positive for traces of
marijuana. The IOC medical commission, by a 13-12 vote, determined the test
was actually positive.

The committee's executive board, by a 3-2 vote with two abstentions, then
decided to strip Rebagliati of his medal.

``I know there was a very lengthy debate; they were fairly split on the
issue,'' Carrard said.

Italy's Thomas Prugger won the silver medal behind Rebagliati with Ueli
Kestenholz of Switzerland taking bronze and Austrian Dieter Krassnig
finishing fourth. They would move up if the ruling were upheld.

The Rebagliati case recalls the controversy that erupted when sprinter Ben
Johnson was stripped of his Olympic gold medal and world record in 1988 in
Seoul for using the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

There is a key difference this time: Rebagliati's positive test did not
involve what is generally considered a performance-enhancing substance.

Asked whether the IOC considered the Rebagliati case an equal crime to
Johnson's, Carrard replied with one word - ``No.''

Japanese police said they would question Rebagliati about marijuana use
following his disqualification from the Winter Olympics.

``We are going to question the athlete about marijuana because possession
of the drug is illegal in Japan,'' said a Nagano police spokesperson.

The COA agrees with the test findings but wants the punishment changed to a
reprimand.

Letheren told a news conference that while the COA does not condone the use
of marijuana, it believes the drug does nothing to make a snowboarder
better.

``There is no question the minute traces present would not have an effect
on the outcome of the competition,'' she said. ``We clearly believe the
appropriate penalty in this instance would be a severe reprimand.''

Rebagliati, a resident of Whistler, B.C., was not at the news conference.
He issued a statement through snowboard team leader Michael Wood.

``I have been trying for 11 years to become the best snowboarder in the
world,'' the statement said. ``I have worked too hard to let this slip
through my fingers.''


The arbitration board that will hear the appeal is independent of the IOC

Dick Pound, an IOC vice-president from Montreal, said the COA would appeal
the results to the Independent Court of Arbitration. He did not say on what
grounds the appeal will be lodged.

Other COA officials were not immediately available for comment. The
arbitration board that will hear the appeal is independent of the IOC.

``They have very ample powers to review this decision,'' Carrard said.

Rebagliati was the toast of the Canadian team last weekend after winning
the first Olympic snowboarding gold medal in history.

He was expected to garner untold riches from his victory and, ironically,
said dope testing made him realize just how big his sport had grown.

``It was drug testing that really drove home to me the importance of the
Olympics,'' he said. ``I've never been exposed to that kind of thing
before.''

But he sounded nonplussed when asked whether he was worried about providing
urine samples.

``No, no,'' he said. ``Those tests were for steriods and I've never gone
near them.''

Rebagliati has been a member of the national team since 1996 and lists his
occupation as pro snowboarder in the Olympic team guide. His hobbies:
surfing, golfing and mountain biking among others.

``I'm still going to be the same person, maybe I won't have to worry about
getting all the movie channels on my TV now, things like that,'' the
5-foot-10, 180-pounder said. ``But I'm not going to change.

``I'm still the same guy.''

Snowboarding made its Olympic debut at these Games. One of the
fastest-growing winter sports in the world, it enjoys immense popularity
among young adults. Seen as the renegades of the Olympic movement, the
competitors did not fit the mainstream Olympic profile.

``Kids will start growing up with Olympic dreams now,'' Rebagliati said
after his win.

Sylvia Rebagliati, Ross' grandmother, dismissed the controversy.

`He's gone from the height of ecstacy to the depths of turmoil'

``Ridiculous,'' she said from Vancouver. ``I have every confidence in Ross
and nothing will deter me from defending him.

``I don't think he's guilty, but it sounds like they're going to put that
trip on him. I know him too well. He's not the party type. He doesn't even
drink alcohol - except, I guess, for the champagne when he won.''

Rebagliati had finished eighth in the first of two timed runs down the
40-gate, 936-metre snowboard course, including a 290-metre vertical drop,
that arrows down Mount Yakebitai northeast of Nagano.

But he is known for his strong, let-it-all-out second runs, and he came
through again this time to win gold for Canada.

Peter Judge, coach of the Canadian freestyle ski team, said he felt bad
about the turn of events.

``It's got to be really rough for him,'' Judge said.

``He's gone from the height of ecstasy to the depths of turmoil and
despair. I have to say I'm very impressed with how well he spoke and
handled himself after he won.

``It's a tough thing to see that young man now put on the stretch rack like
that and hung out to dry.''

Bob Clarke, general manager of the Canadian Olympic hockey team, said the
news is disappointing.

With files from Randy Starkman, Alan Adams, Allan Ryan, Norman Da Costa,
Canadian Press and Reuters news agency.