Todd submits to drug test in UK

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK and CHRIS DANIELS

Mark Todd has been tested for drugs, along with other members of the New Zealand equestrian team.

Todd told the Weekend Herald last night that the team were tested at Lulworth Castle, in Dorset, last week.

He said the results were not expected to be known for at least another three weeks.

Graeme Steele, executive director of the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency, said he was "not in a position to comment" on whether Todd, or anyone else, was tested for drugs.

The local agency could arrange for testing to take place in Britain, or British authorities could have done their own testing.

Mr Steele said New Zealand's drug-testing programme was independent of the different sports' governing bodies, such as the Equestrian Federation, and whether results of drug tests were publicised or not was up to them.

Since a British newspaper alleged in June that he had snorted cocaine, Todd has refused to make any public comment on whether the claims are true.

However, since being publicly named in the New Zealand team on June 27, he has signed two official Olympic documents saying he does not take drugs.

The two contracts include the Athletes' Agreement, effective between September 1 and October 4, banning drug use and obliging athletes to behave in a "proper manner."

This is the agreement that Sports Minister Trevor Mallard referred to when he told Parliament that any breach outside the dates would not count.

However, Todd has also signed a Games eligibility contract, which has no date limits and obliges all competitors to comply with the rules of the International Olympic Committee, which forbids cocaine use.

His inclusion in the Olympic equestrian team came eight days after the Sunday Mirror published stills taken from a video recording which it claimed showed Todd snorting cocaine.

Todd is one of six New Zealand equestrian riders due to compete in the three-day eventing at the Olympic Games in September.

Two top equestrian competitors likely to compete against Todd at the Games had no complaints about his inclusion in the Olympic team when contacted by the Herald.

Australian eventing team member Shane Rose said: "He's an amazing person in our sport. We'd like to be able to beat the best that there is. Most of the people [in our team] would probably feel similar."

Fellow Australian Stuart Tinney said: "We're just working hard and getting on with getting our horses ready, so we don't really care too much. They're just allegations."

Rose was surprised, however, that the NZ Olympic Committee had not considered or even requested any of the evidence collected by the Sunday Mirror.

Olympic Committee secretary-general Mike Hooper yesterday refused to comment further on the cocaine allegations or on its recent investigation into the matter.

The New Zealand Equestrian Federation, which has received more than $2.6 million in funding since 1996 from the Sports Foundation, also declined to comment or say how much Todd receives from the federation, although it is estimated to be $50,000 a year.

Four major foundation sponsors the Herald contacted - Air NZ, Carter Holt Harvey, Sanitarium and the Fletcher Challenge Trust - refused to say if they were reviewing their sponsorship or had any concerns regarding Todd.

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