Last-minute drug ban for athlete

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

TURNED BACK: Sam Eddie was prevented from flying to the world hand-cycling championships because of the medication she takes for her condition.

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A paraplegic athlete's hopes of a world title were dashed when she was told moments before she was due to catch her international flight that medication she was taking for her disability was a banned substance.

Waikanae woman Samantha Eddie, 43, was at Auckland International Airport waiting to fly out to next week's hand-cycling world championships in Canada when the event's medical director called to inform her that a diuretic she had taken for the past four years to control her blood pressure and side-effects of her paraplegia was banned.

She was due to compete in three events, including a team relay. Her ineligibility meant her two team-mates also had to pull out of the relay.

Ms Eddie, who was paralysed five years ago after a horse fell on her, said she was devastated her six-day-a-week training sessions, which stretched for up to three hours, would come to nothing. "It's like a death or a loss or something because my whole focus for the last year has been this event."

Paralympics New Zealand made the decision to stop her from going because, if she was found to have the drug in her system, she faced a two-year ban. "So it's just not worth it because, once you have that drug cheat thing on your name, you'll never get rid of it," she said.

The former policewoman and competitive horse rider, who is currently ranked second in the world in her grade, said she had submitted the required paperwork listing all the medication she was on to Paralympics New Zealand six weeks ago.

She had done so before every major event in the past, including two previous world championships, but said it appeared that a loophole had meant the drug had gone undetected until now.

She admitted she should have been more careful but said the error should never have gone unnoticed for so long.

She had been assured that the fact she had competed while taking the drug in the past would not affect her world ranking and past achievements, as she had never been tested for it.

Paralympics New Zealand high-performance manager Grant Sharman admitted the "extremely unfortunate" situation should have been avoided.

"It would appear that Sam was taking a medication that appeared to be fine but, on closer examination, was not fine."

While the onus to monitor their medication was on the athlete, the problem should have been picked up sooner, he said.

Paralympics New Zealand had begun an investigation that would look to establish how it went undetected for so long, whether there would be retrospective implications and how the organisation could stop it happening again.

"I've got to reiterate that we really feel for Sam. She's worked really hard for this."

He admitted his organisation's role was under scrutiny. "Like it or not, my head is on the chopping block."

Paul Curry, president of Parafed Wellington, which represents disabled athletes, said that, if the problem had been picked up sooner, Ms Eddie could have changed her medication and been able to attend. "We're bitterly disappointed and deeply concerned that this could have taken place right at the eleventh hour."

The group has called for an inquiry.

Ms Eddie said she was now focused on the London Paralympics in 2012.

- © Fairfax NZ News