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Australian Olympic Committee removes O'Grady from Athletes' commission

published 26 July 2013

Will no longer be remembered as great competitor but as doper, AOC says

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Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts) celebrates his victory in the Stuart O'Grady Road Race at the Adelaide Tour(Image credit: Mark Gunter - markgunter.com.au)

Stuart O'Grady (Orica - GreenEdge)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has removed Stuart O'Grady from its Athletes' Commission. The body had earlier asked him to voluntarily resign, in light of his doping confession.

O'Grady announces his retirement

O'Grady admits EPO use ahead of 1998 Tour de France

Australian Olympic Athletes' Commission request O'Grady's resignation

O'Grady EPO use a reflection of cycling at the time, says Legeay

"A pre-condition of membership of the AOC Athletes' Commission is to have a clean doping record," AOC spokesperson Mike Tancred said, according to news.com.au. "As we have not heard from Stuart O’Grady following our request yesterday for him to resign we have decided to terminate his membership of the Athletes' Commission."

O'Grady announced his retirement immediately after the Tour de France, although he had previously said he would ride through 2014. His name appeared on the “suspicious” list for the 1998 Tour de France, and he subsequently admitted to having used EPO that year.

The AOC indicated that O'Grady's reputation is now tarnished. He will not be remembered as a "fantastic competitor" but as an "athlete who succumbed to the temptation of drugs in sport just to get an edge on some of his fellow riders".