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Whistler, B.C. - In his new book, American snowboarder Chris Klug has some harsh words for Whistler's Ross Rebagliati, calling him "Bob Marley on a snowboard." Rebagliati won the first gold medal awarded in snowboard when the sport made its Olympic debut at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
He later tested positive for marijuana and was stripped of the medal before regaining it on appeal.
In his book To The Edge and Back, Klug recalls his frustration of hearing about Rebagliati's positive drug test while eating at the athlete's cafeteria in Nagano.
"After all the years of work and then putting up with the bullshit of FIS politics in order to legitimize our sport as something other than a playground for pot-heads and part-time athletes, in my eyes Ross had literally just pissed it all away in his urine test," Klug wrote.
He also scoffs at Rebagliati's defence he tested positive because he had inhaled second-hand marijuana smoke.
"Those of us who knew Ross rolled our eyes, wrote Klug.
"He was practically Bob Marley on a snowboard."
The decision to take away Rebagliati's medal was eventually overturned by an appeal panel.
Klug underwent a liver transplant in 2000, then went on to win a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: oped@ott.sunpub.com
Website: Ottawa Sun
He later tested positive for marijuana and was stripped of the medal before regaining it on appeal.
In his book To The Edge and Back, Klug recalls his frustration of hearing about Rebagliati's positive drug test while eating at the athlete's cafeteria in Nagano.
"After all the years of work and then putting up with the bullshit of FIS politics in order to legitimize our sport as something other than a playground for pot-heads and part-time athletes, in my eyes Ross had literally just pissed it all away in his urine test," Klug wrote.
He also scoffs at Rebagliati's defence he tested positive because he had inhaled second-hand marijuana smoke.
"Those of us who knew Ross rolled our eyes, wrote Klug.
"He was practically Bob Marley on a snowboard."
The decision to take away Rebagliati's medal was eventually overturned by an appeal panel.
Klug underwent a liver transplant in 2000, then went on to win a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: oped@ott.sunpub.com
Website: Ottawa Sun
