From: matus [matus@snet.net]
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 2:21 AM
To: matus@snet.net
Subject: MFD List - Bridge Champion refuses to take drug test

Bridge Collapse

The world bridge championship in Montreal is rocked after a silver medallist
refuses to take a drug test. Random drug testing was adopted for the card
game in hopes of being adopted as an Olympic sport.

There are no known performance-enhancing drugs for bridge.

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n1632.a09.html


CN QU: Bridge Player Is Stripped Of Medal For Refusing Drug
Website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: Patrick Jourdain, Bridge Correspondent, in Montreal


BRIDGE PLAYER IS STRIPPED OF MEDAL FOR REFUSING DRUG TEST

The world of bridge was in uproar yesterday after a drug scandal at the
world open championships in Montreal.

Disa Eythorsdottir, an American professional, was stripped of her silver
medal for refusing to take a drug test.

The World Bridge Federation was forced to hold an unprecedented emergency
meeting to determine how to discipline her.

Random drug testing for bridge players at world championships was introduced
in January 2000 as part of the WBF campaign for bridge to become an Olympic
sport.

Four US team members were chosen for the tests but Eythorsdottir, who is
orginally from Iceland, refused.

Close to tears, she said "They have taken everything, my medal, my name.  I
am on a diet drug connected with a back condition.  I asked the authorities
whether the drug was on the banned list and they did not know."

She added: "The drug is on prescription but I did not obtain a certificate
to cover it."

There are no prohibited performance-enhancing drugs for bridge, so the WBF
relies on the list of banned substances supplied by the International
Olympic Committee.

Jose Damiani, WBF president, said: "Since we introduced random testing two
players have failed, but both so narrowly that we did not publish the names,
informing only the player and their federation of the problem.

He added: "However, she [Eythorsdottir] refused the test.  She is deemed to
have failed the test.  Her medal has been removed and her name has been
referred to her federation."

Eythorsdottir, who is well-known in the bridge world, is from Iceland but
married an American, Curtis Cheek, and is eligible to represent the US.

She had to stand aside as her five team-mates received their medals.

The WBF suffered another blow when Mr Damiani said that the IOC programme
commission was advising against accepting bridge.



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MAP posted-by: Derek

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