Australian Olympic hockey player Tom Craig has been issued with a public reprimand for trying to buy cocaine on a night out in Paris after his team was eliminated from the Games.
Craig had bought about one gram of the illicit drug, French media reported on Wednesday, citing police sources. The athlete then unsuccessfully tried to run away from police officers who had witnessed the transaction, according to the Herald Sun newspaper. After spending nearly 18 hours in custody, the 28-year-old was released with no conviction.
Instead, Craig received a criminal warning, which is an alternative to prosecution. Under French law, it can be applied in the case of first-time offenders, on condition they admit their guilt and do not reoffend within two years.
Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares said in a statement that Craig had made a “bad decision” and “there are consequences for decisions like this.”
“As a result, Tom will lose all his remaining Olympic privileges. He had already moved out of the Olympic Village, and I understand he was not intending to return for the closing ceremony. If he were, he would not be able to attend,” Meares said, as quoted by Reuters.
The Athletes’ Declaration, a document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of competitors within the Olympic Movement, states that they should “act as a role model” and “be aware of their responsibilities.”
Craig, a silver medallist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has since apologized to his family and teammates, admitting to having made “a terrible mistake.”
Craig’s team, known as the Kookaburras, were knocked out of the Paris Olympics by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
The Paris Olympic Village, a complex of purpose-built dwellings for the athletes, has attracted controversy over the living conditions. The housing has been reported to lack air conditioning, forcing athletes to endure sweltering heat. A picture of Italian gold medallist swimmer Thomas Ceccon sleeping in the park has gone viral on social media. Ceccon reportedly claimed that the grass not far from the Olympic village “was more comfortable than the beds in the accommodation.”