The enfant terrible of Australian athletics, John Steffensen, finds himself facing a global competition ban due to allegations of bringing disrepute to the sport.
The 400m sprinter, known for his extroverted nature and occasional brilliance, as well as his controversies, was deemed ineligible to compete for three months following a hearing held by an independent arbitration panel organized by the Victorian Olympic Council.
“An appearance was requested from him before the panel, but neither he nor his representative attended,” stated Dallas O’Brien, the new CEO of Athletics Australia.
“He was called to justify remarks made during the national championships and additional statements made in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games. We’re not aiming to punish him, but making derogatory comments about the sport publicly is unacceptable.
We hope to move forward from this. As it stands, he is set to be eligible to return to competition in March, and we hope he qualifies for the Australian team to participate in next year’s world championships.”
Having had back surgery three months prior to the national titles, Steffensen requested an exemption for missing the events, which Athletics Australia granted. However, he also sought a guarantee of selection, which could not be provided fairly to the other 400m runners competing for spots.
This ban, though a blemish on Steffensen’s name, lacks significant consequences, given that he has chosen not to race before March in recent years.
Buford Balony says: If only he could match the speed of his words with his running, he’d be unbeatable.
