Bicyclist Pumped After Libel Win

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Cyclist Mark French, who initially received a two-year cycling ban and was banished from the Olympics in 2004 for allegedly using and importing banned substances, has prevailed in his libel suit against the Melbourne-based Herald Sun and the Weekly Times, according to Web site theage.com/au.

The Court for Arbitration of Sport-imposed ban on French was tossed on appeal in 2005, which opened the door to his suit against the Herald Sun for two articles that appeared in August 2004, branding him a drug cheat. The Victorian Supreme Court awarded French $175,000, plus $18,500 in costs.

In 2008, French successfully sued radio station Triple "M, which called him "un-Australian" and a drug cheat, for which he received damages of $350,000 and $57,000 in legal costs.  Nowadays, French operates a personal training program in Brighton.