Barbados cyclist still proclaims innocence

Friday, October 10, 2003

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Barbadian cyclist, Mr. Barry Forde, says he's innocent and will redeem himself though he was stripped of his double Pan American Games gold medals and the World Championship bronze medal. Mr. Forde forfeited his medals after testing positive for the drug ephedrine, which he claimed he took by accident through a cough medicine.

"I still say I am innocent in the whole situation, but when people try to take away things that you work hard for unfairly as I think it is, it is hard but you really can't dwell on the past. That was a couple months ago," the Nation quoted Forde as saying.

But he added, "I am ready now for next season. Hopefully, everything should be a big party next year around this same time." 

Contending he had paid a price in unfair circumstances, Forde said his situation had made Barbadians even more aware of drugs and medicines in sports, the Nation report added. 

"Not everything that you would probably take is a performance-enhancement drug. It is just sometimes mistakes can be made, and that makes the public more aware of what is really going on with drugs in sports," said Forde. 

"It's all a learning experience, I think, not only for me, but for the sportsmen of Barbados. Unfortunately, it was me, but I ain't really fall because I am still here and I still stay by my word that I'm innocent. I just hope that people would just take this as a learning experience not only for me, to point the finger (at me), but to say anything is possible for anybody. Small mistakes could be hazardous." 

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