Canadian Roller Hockey Goalie Fails Doping Test
August 3, 1999 - 0:0
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Despite all the good fortune Canada has experienced as the host country in the Pan American games, the regional olympics now have been sullied at least a little bit. Canada was stripped of one of its gold medals Sunday, the result of its roller hockey goalie testing positive for banned substances and being disqualified from the Pan Ams. Meanwhile, a second athlete, the women's high jump champion, also reportedly failed the first half of the drug test procedure.
Steve Vezina, a professional roller hockey player in the United States, tested positive for two stimulants and an anabolic steroid. It was the first doping incident at the games. 'Steve Vezina gave a positive result . . . we decided to withdraw the gold medal from the winning team, Canada,'' said Mario Vazquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization. The United States, which lost 7-6 to Canada in the championship game, was awarded the gold, with Argentina moving up to second and Brazil to third.
Vezina said after a preliminary round loss to the United States that he lost 5 1-2 kilos (12 pounds) during the game at Max Bell arena, which is not air conditioned. He played well in the final after a shaky start, and was especially strong in the last 10 minutes, blanking the Americans. ''It's unfortunate,'' Canadian teammate Jeff Leiter said. ''What he did hurts all of us.'' In a second case, the Canadian broadcast corporation reported that Juana Rosario, the gold medalist in the women's high jump from the Dominican republic, failed the first portion of her post-competition doping test after her event Wednesday. Her second sample, the so-called b-sample, must now be tested.
Vezina's doping test showed three banned substances: Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and nandrolone. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are stimulants used to avoid fatigue. Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that increases muscle mass. Vezina said at his drug test that he had taken Sudafed, an antihistamine commonly taken for respiratory symptoms and colds, prior to competition. Many ice hockey players use Sudafed as an energy boost, and it is not banned in North America's professional ice hockey leagues.
''It comes as a big shock ... Steve is not an abuser of anabolic steroids,'' said Lou Franceschetti, his coach with the buffalo wings of roller hockey international, which does not have a substance abuse policy. ''Until we have a chance to gather all of the facts and speak to everyone involved, Steve Vezina is scheduled to be in goal Friday against Dallas,'' Wings vice president of operations Benny Gulakiw said.
(AP)
Steve Vezina, a professional roller hockey player in the United States, tested positive for two stimulants and an anabolic steroid. It was the first doping incident at the games. 'Steve Vezina gave a positive result . . . we decided to withdraw the gold medal from the winning team, Canada,'' said Mario Vazquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization. The United States, which lost 7-6 to Canada in the championship game, was awarded the gold, with Argentina moving up to second and Brazil to third.
Vezina said after a preliminary round loss to the United States that he lost 5 1-2 kilos (12 pounds) during the game at Max Bell arena, which is not air conditioned. He played well in the final after a shaky start, and was especially strong in the last 10 minutes, blanking the Americans. ''It's unfortunate,'' Canadian teammate Jeff Leiter said. ''What he did hurts all of us.'' In a second case, the Canadian broadcast corporation reported that Juana Rosario, the gold medalist in the women's high jump from the Dominican republic, failed the first portion of her post-competition doping test after her event Wednesday. Her second sample, the so-called b-sample, must now be tested.
Vezina's doping test showed three banned substances: Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and nandrolone. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are stimulants used to avoid fatigue. Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that increases muscle mass. Vezina said at his drug test that he had taken Sudafed, an antihistamine commonly taken for respiratory symptoms and colds, prior to competition. Many ice hockey players use Sudafed as an energy boost, and it is not banned in North America's professional ice hockey leagues.
''It comes as a big shock ... Steve is not an abuser of anabolic steroids,'' said Lou Franceschetti, his coach with the buffalo wings of roller hockey international, which does not have a substance abuse policy. ''Until we have a chance to gather all of the facts and speak to everyone involved, Steve Vezina is scheduled to be in goal Friday against Dallas,'' Wings vice president of operations Benny Gulakiw said.
(AP)