Weightlifting coach banned for six years

File photo / NZ Herald

Weightlifting coach Daniel Milne has been suspended for six years by the Sports Tribunal for attempted trafficking in, and possession of, prohibited substances.

Milne admitted both charges, which stem from December 2012, when he offered to supply steroids and other performance enhancing prohibited substances to a 19-year-old weightlifter (X) he was coaching.

Milne held a party at his house where he showed X some of these products, offered to source them for X and show X how to use them, to improve his competitive weightlifting performance.

X subsequently declined and told another coach which led to Drug Free Sport New Zealand carrying out investigations and ultimately referring the matter to the Tribunal on October 6.

This is the first anti-doping violation of attempted trafficking in New Zealand.

The minimum penalty for attempted trafficking is four years' suspension from sport with a maximum penalty of a life ban. Overseas cases have imposed penalties ranging from four years' suspension to a life ban, depending on the circumstances of each case.

The Tribunal noted there were aggravating factors here including that: the violations happened within an athlete and coach relationship; X was a young man who should have received mentoring and support and not been encouraged to take prohibited substances; and this was not a one off spontaneous mistake but reflected Milne's unacceptable attitude towards use of prohibited substances then.

In the Tribunal's view, without considering any mitigating factors, a starting point of seven to eight years' suspension would apply in these circumstances.

Milne eventually admitted the violations and accepted responsibility for what occurred, meaning X and other witnesses didn't have to give evidence at the hearing.

The Tribunal was satisfied Milne's frame of mind in which the offending occurred is now history but stated that "the fundamental attack on the integrity of all sporting contests demands that the breach is not minimised".

The Tribunal ordered the six year period start from January 1 this year to take account of the delay in the matter being referred to the Tribunal.