NZ cyclist in drug scandal, Tall Ferns in quarters, Faumuina through

10.00am

The New Zealand Olympic team was rocked by its own drug scandal today at the dope-infested Athens Games.

Anthony Peden's Games are over before they began, withdrawing from the track cycling team after he admitted having taken a banned drug -- albeit one that is not considered performance enhancing.

Menawhile, a bunch of New Zealand students, mothers and career women stunned the basketball community today when they forced their way into an Olympic quarterfinal.

The part-timers who make up the Tall Ferns held off a Chinese team packed with professionals in a heart-stopping 79-77 victory.

In athletics there were successes for Nick Willis, who came third in his 1500m heat, and Beatrice Faumuina, who needed just one throw to qualify for tomorrow morning's (NZ Time) final of the discus.

Willis ran at the tail of the field until making his move in the home straight, smiling as he eased off near the line to finish in three minutes 39.80 seconds, behind Spaniard Reyes Estevez and Kenyan Bernard Lagat.

There was less success elsewhere, with John Henwood pulling out of the 10,000m race won by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, and Kimberly Smith did not progress in the women's 5000m.

The last day of Olympic swimming produced no surprises for New Zealand, with Alison Fitch (50m freestyle), Moss Burmester (1500m freestyle), and the men's and women's 100m medley relay teams all failing to progress from their respective heats.

Board sailor Barbara Kendall's appeal against an effective disqualification was turned down making her now an unlikely medal prospect.

Ryan Taylor missed out on qualifying for the men's 50m rifle prone final and the Black Sticks are battling to avoid a wooden spoon after losing 3-0 to Argentina.

Louisa Hill of New Zealand was 25th out of 26 after day one of the
equestrian individual dressage grand prix.

Peden told the New Zealand Olympic Committee he was prescribed Triamcinoline, a cortisone-type drug, by a German doctor for chronic back and leg pain.

Peden had not sought guidance from New Zealand Olympic health team nor from BikeNZ before taking the drug, a decision New Zealand Games team chief Dave Currie said was naive and inexplicable.

Doping has cast an ugly shadow over the Athens Olympics, with several top athletes being banned before the Games started. Seven weightlifters were banned on Thursday after positive tests and overnight it was revealed that an Indian weightlifter, Uzbek shot putter and Greek weightlifting medal-winner had tested positive.

- NZPA, HERALD STAFF