Collins test positive but keeps sprint gold
Adrian Warner
Kim Collins, who put tiny St Kitts and Nevis on the sporting map by winning the Commonwealth 100 metres title, became the first athlete to test positive for drugs at the Games on Thursday but escaped punishment.
Collins, who clinched the tiny Caribbean islands their first gold medal in the 72-year-old history of the Games, tested positive for the prohibited substance salbutamol but was allowed to keep his medal because he took the drug to threat asthma.
The announcement of the test involving the winner of the most high-profile event in the athletics, which finished on Wednesday, dominated a day when Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe collected his fourth gold in his bid for an historic seven.
It was a mixed day for Australia, the most successful nation in the history of the event which brings together 72 nations from mostly former British colonies.
Their male cyclists broke the world record in the 4,000 metres team pursuit. But the Australian women's hockey team, the Olympic and World Cup champions, suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at the hands of hosts England in the semi-finals.
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and its Court held hearings and meetings over two days to discuss the Collins test.
"The use of salbutamol is permitted under certain conditions and the level found in Mr Collins's sample was consistent with normal therapeutic use and was not considered to be performance-enhancing," the CGF said in a statement.
"Upon considering the report from the acting medical adviser the Federation Court came to the unanimous decision that the athlete should not be penalised."
LESSON
Saturday's 100 final had been billed as a showdown between two English rivals -- Mark Lewis-Francis and Dwain Chambers -- but both pulled up in the second half of the race with injuries.
Collins, who provided medical evidence of his asthma condition to the CGF, stole the show in 9.98 seconds for St Kitts and Nevis -- two small dots near Antigua on a world map.
"You must imagine what a big thing it is for us to have won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and it would have been so disappointing to have had it taken away for something like that," said Dennis Knight, president of the islands' Olympic Committee.
Collins said he used salbutamol when he underwent a test at the Games. But his country broke CGF rules because its Commonwealth Games Association did not declare the use of the medication before the event.
"This has taught me a powerful lesson and one that all athletes should learn from," Collins said. "This is my future and I will take personal responsibility for making sure all competition requirements are met."
FOUR FOR THORPE
Thorpe, who will become the most successful competitor in Games' history with a total of 11 gold if he wins seven in Manchester, anchored the Australian men's 4x200 metres relay team to an easy victory.
Australia won five of Thursday's nine finals and probably would have won another if Matt Welsh had not been disqualified from the men's 200 backstroke for a false start in his heat.
Welsh, who won gold in the 50 backstroke on Wednesday, immediately protested but the appeal was rejected despite his insistence that the video evidence proved his innocence.
At the cycling track the Australian team of Graeme Brown, Peter Dawson, Mark Renshaw and Luke Roberts set a world record of three minutes 59.583 seconds in the final against England.
The previous best of 3:59.710 was set by Germany at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
But at the hockey centre, England put out the Australian favourites with goals from Kate Walsh and Helen Grant, their first victory over the country since 1986.
England will play India, 2-1 winners over New Zealand in the other semi-final, in Saturday's final.
