AUSTRALIA 
Thorpe to sue over doping allegations
Monday, 4 August, 2008
Ian Thorpe (AAP)
Swimming champion Ian Thorpe is to take legal action against a French newspaper and a journalist he says defamed him by publishing claims he used performance enhancing drugs.
A report written by journalist Damien Ressiot for the daily sports paper L'Equipe last March last claimed Thorpe gave a sample in 2006 which showed abnormal levels of testosterone and a luteinising hormone.
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But the retired star was cleared of all allegations against him last year when the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) ruled it had found no evidence of doping.
FINA, swimming's world governing body, reached a similar conclusion.
'Reputation damaged'
Thorpe had vehemently denied the drug claims, saying he had taken his obligations to comply with swimming's anti-doping codes "very seriously, and prided myself on this".
The NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Monday set a date of September 22 for lawyers on both sides to meet and decide on proceedings.
Lawyer Tony O'Reilly said Thorpe wanted to repair the damage done to his reputation by the claims.
Thorpe retired in November 2006, after dominating his sport for eight years, smashing a string of records and earning a huge tally of Olympic and world titles.
He is Australia's most decorated Olympian, notching up five gold medals from the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games.
Source: AAP/SBS
