Australian field hockey player Tom Craig made his way to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in hopes of earning gold for his native country.
He’s now mired in a ton of controversy.
Following the team’s loss in the quarterfinals of the tournament, they held a celebration at the Hotel Maison in Paris. Roughly 18 hours before that, Craig was arrested by authorities in Paris for buying a gram of cocaine.
“Australian hockey player Tom Craig attempted to run away from police trying to arrest him for buying a gram of cocaine on the streets of Paris before realising he could not escape pursuing officers,” the Herald Son reported.
Hockey’s high performance director Bernard Savage told the outlet that Craig looked “dishevelled” after being released following 18 hours in custody.
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Summer Olympics Athlete Tom Craig Penalized For Buying Cocaine
Craig had his Olympic rights stripped from him, is banned from the Olympic Village and will not be marching with Australia during the Closing Ceremony next week. These are obviously harsh, but fair penalties after committing the aforementioned crime. Craig is actually lucky that the games are being held in France.
Just ask WNBA star Brittney Griner
“My understanding is there was a commotion he may have tried to move away and that was what caused the commotion which is what the players recognised,” Savage said.
“So if it was that he did try to run away it was very, very short lived and very, very quickly brought under control by both the police and Tom realising that it was time to sit down.”
The Herald Sun’s article includes a photo of Craig being detained in Paris after allegedly trying to buy the narcotic.
Craig has since apologized for a “terrible mistake.”
“I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Craig told the media. “My actions are my own and by no way reflect the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport and the Australian Olympic team. I’ve embarrassed you all. I’m truly sorry.”
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