Former Olympic runner admits to drugs

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK and NICK SMITH

Former Olympic silver medallist Dick Quax admits he smoked cannabis in the 1970s but still insists that Mark Todd should withdraw from the Olympics over drug claims.

Quax yesterday admitted to the Herald that he smoked the drug on a casual basis between major competitions in the 1970s along with "most people" of his generation.

A former colleague of Quax, who now lives in Australia, told the Herald that the pair had shared a joint in the 1970s. He spoke out after reading comments that Quax had made about Todd.

The former Olympic runner wants Todd to come clean over allegations that he snorted cocaine in the company of a gay lover.

Todd has refused to confirm or deny the Sunday Mirror's allegations.

When told of Quax's drug revelation, Todd laughed, then added that he had "nothing to say about it."

Quax, who won silver in the 5000m in the Montreal Olympics in 1976, said he had smoked marijuana no more than 20 times and the drug was not forbidden by the Olympic anti-doping code of the 1970s.

"It was an illegal activity and I readily accept that ... It's something I wouldn't do any more and I wouldn't recommend anyone else would do either."

He said it was not hypocritical for him to criticise Todd.

"There is a code ... that all Olympic athletes out there are asked [to adhere to] and Mark Todd [may] not have complied with that code. I don't think I'm being hypocritical. I've been open with you."

However, 1970s Olympic athletics great John Walker said that snorting cocaine and smoking dope "is the same thing."

He said he "never saw Quax on a running tour with that stuff at all."

He refused to become involved in an argument between Quax and Todd. "It's ... not my debate. It's purely between those two."

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