Stars underline drug-free sport

From the old classics to the sleek-line modern models, they were all there - a mighty lineup of New Zealand athletes.

Sir Murray Halberg, John Walker and Dick Quax, and the current crop of Olympic gold medallists - the Evers-Swindell twins, Hamish Carter, and Sarah Ulmer.

The gathering also included Barbara Kendall, with 3-month old daughter Aimee, Danyon Loader, and weightlifter Nigel Avery.

And New Zealand's future hopefuls were represented by tennis player Marina Erakovic.

The occasion at Selwyn College's Theatre was officially to announce the renaming of the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency to Drug Free Sport NZ.

According to presenter Melodie Robinson, the old name just wasn't "hip" and many had thought the agency was simply there for drug testing.

The athletes were there to put their weight behind its message - each living proof that hard work was more effective for international success than performance enhancing drugs.

Some of those there had felt the suspicion more than others. The international worlds of weightlifting, cycling and swimming constantly have drug scandals circling.

Sarah Ulmer said she had been upset by questions over whether she had used performance enhancing drugs to build up to her record-breaking Olympics win.

"You'd probably have to censor out what I thought of drug cheats. In my sport it's pretty widespread. I compete for the same reasons everyone else does, to represent my country."

She said she would take no pride in winning because of drugs. Those who took them she considered to be "total frauds".

She said the athletes there yesterday were proof that sports people could both stay clean and win.

"The gutting thing is that when you hear of someone testing positive to drugs, you always hear from the drug testing agencies in the media, but hardly ever do you hear the athletes get up and say what we think of drugs in sport. We are the guys at the coalface so for us to get up and say we won't stand for it is wonderful.

New Zealand in my experience is one of the leading countries in drug-free sport. In New Zealand, we've never really had the concept of using drugs in sport or the belief that you need to cheat to succeed. So the best thing is to get us together to make a stand."