CANADA CHOOSES CANNABIS, NOT SO HIGH ON STEROIDS

Actually, no, not all athletes are on drugs.

Of the tiny numbers of Canadian athletes who test positive, it's more
likely to be for cannabis than anything truly sinister.

Just two weeks after Canadian cyclist Genevieve Jeanson admitted to
using the banned drug erythropoietin, U.S. sprinter Marion Jones told
the world last week that she too had cheated, with steroids.

The notion of Jones surrendering her Olympic medals is enough to
provoke a cynical kind of Olympic ennui in even the most dedicated
fans, especially as it's not clear who now will get that 100-metre
gold, with other runners in the field also under suspicion.

But like an innocent child still living in a wholesome bubble,
Canadian athletes are more likely to test positive for cannabis than
anything truly sinister. Yes, you read that correctly: Pot. Weed.

Statistics from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport show that out
of more than 3,000 doping control tests from April 2006 to June 2007,
15 of the 26 anti-doping rule violations were for cannabis. In July,
the centre announced that two more athletes, in canoe kayak and
wheelchair basketball, had tested positive for pot.

"That's not intentional doping from our perspective," said Paul Melia,
president and CEO of the centre." We've spent a lot of time and effort
trying to educate particularly the university and college students,
who seem to be the ones we test and catch most often."

It has gotten to the point where Canada has repeatedly asked the World
Anti-Doping Agency to take cannabis off the banned list. So far to no
avail. "The time and effort that's required on our part to follow up
on the adverse analytical findings for cannabis divert more valuable
resources from the more serious substances," Melia said. "In our view
there isn't science to support its benefit in performance enhancing."

Canada has been a leader in the anti-doping field since the Dubin
Inquiry that followed Ben Johnson's 1988 steroid scandal, so the bulk
of our athletes are too terrified to try anything, even if they wanted
to. The U.S. only created a domestic anti-doping agency in 1999.

"In the 1990s our athletes felt disadvantaged in the world because
other countries weren't subject to the same rigorous program," Melia
said. "Now other countries are testing. I think that the message to
the public would be that we're not so naive to think there's no doping
going on in Canadian sport, but we certainly would make the statement
that the vast majority of Canadian athletes are clean."

As for Jones, who won Olympic golds in the 100 metres, 200 metres and
the 4x400 relay in Sydney in 2000, as well as bronzes in the 4x100
metre relay and long jump, it's lovely that she's now purged her
conscience. But consider how she forever affected the lives of her
competitors.

"Think of the kid who couldn't make the Olympic final because Marion
Jones was there," said Swimming Canada's head coach Pierre Lafontaine.
"Think of someone who finished fourth and could've gone home with a
bronze medal. To me, that's where this is horrible for sports, for the
kids that get hurt by it.'

Jones is no better than a thief.

ROWER RETIRES

Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams announced yesterday he is
retiring from the Canadian National Rowing Team to spend more time
with his family and pursue sports broadcasting.

The outspoken Williams, 30, is best known for his Olympic silver medal
as part of the men's four in Athens in 2004, a race that was lost to
the British by only .08 of a second. He also won world championship
gold in that same event in 2003.

But personality clashes with coach Mike Spracklen and some team
members, along with the rising standard of the men's team, meant
Williams was highly unlikely to row in a gold medal crew at the 2008
Olympics, he said.

Williams, most recent result was 14th at the 2007 worlds in
August.

He is married to National Team rower Buffy Williams, an Olympic bronze
medallist.