Games: Collins would have kept medal under Olympic rules

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Games: Collins would have kept medal under Olympic rules

By Debra Way

MANCHESTER, Aug 3 AAP - Sprinter Kim Collins, who tested positive to a banned drugbut kept his 100m Commonwealth gold medal, would probably have been treated the same underOlympic rules, the IOC boss said today.

But International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the case served toremind athletes of the dangers of forgetting to notify officials of medications they wereon.

Collins, from the tiny Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis, tested positive to Salbutamol,which is used to treat asthma.

He was allowed to retain his medal because the drug level was consistent with normaltherapeutic use and was not performance-enhancing, the CGF said.

Rogge said while he did not know the detail of Collins' case he believed the Olympicauthorities would have come to the same conclusion.

"I think so," he said, during a visit to the Manchester Games.

"What I know is that the athlete had an unchallenged medical file that he had asthma.

"Secondly there were records that the athlete had reported Salbutamol use in previouscompetitions and for some reason it was not reported here.

"Was it negligence, was it the fault of his federation? I don't know. But the factthat the athlete had previously indicated that he was using Salbutamol and not this timegoes in his favour.

"The third thing is that the level of Salbutamol was clearly within therapeutic range."

Rogge said a doctors' examination of Collins confirmed the medical file.

"Whilst we have a strict liability rule in the IOC, in such circumstances, when thereis such great evidence that there was no intention to defraud and to cheat, that justicehas to be applied with common sense and intelligence, we probably would've done the samething.

"However, this should be a good lesson for all athletes that they should not forget to notify."

Collins became the third athlete at the Commonwealth Games to test positive to a banneddrug, with Australian shooter Phillip Adams and Canadian triathlete Kelly Guest the othertwo involved.

Adams was not penalised by Australia's national shooting body because the diureticfound in his body was contained in blood pressure medication and was not performance-enhancing.

AAP da/nhwn

KEYWORD: GAMES DRUGS ROGGE