Nathan Baggaley

Nathan Baggaley

Baggeley (#5) in action at the 2005 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
Medal record
Men's canoe sprint
Olympic Games
	2004 Athens	K-1 500 m
	2004 Athens	K-2 500 m
World Championships
	2002 Seville	K-1 500 m
	2003 Gainesville	K-1 500 m
	2005 Zagreb	K-1 500 m
	2003 Gainesville	K-1 1000 m
	2005 Zagreb	K-1 1000 m

Nathan Baggaley (born 6 December 1975 in Byron Bay, New South Wales) is an Australian sprint canoer and surfski champion. He is a three-times world champion in the K-1 500 m events and has also won two Olympic silver medals. His career has been tarnished by drug scandals.

Career summary

He made his international debut for Australia in 1997, initially competing in the K-2. In 1999 he switched to the K-1 and reached the K-1 500m semifinals at Sydney in 2000. He become one of the top stars in the sport, winning three consecutive K-1 500 m world championships (2002, 2003, 2005). At the Athens Olympics Baggaley won the silver medal in the K-1 500 m, edged out by Canadian Adam van Koeverden. In the K-2 race he partnered with Clint Robinson to another silver medal. He was voted the Australian Institute of Sport’s Athlete of the Year in 2004. Baggeley returned to win in the K-1 500 m event at Zagreb in 2005 prior to being banned for 24 months for steroid use.

Steroids and illicit drug

In September 2005 Baggaley tested positive for banned steroids (stanozolol and methandienone). Baggaley was subsequently banned for 15 months by Australian Canoeing. The suspension was extended to two years by the International Canoe Federation, with authorities saying they did not consider swigging his brother's steroid-laced orange juice to be an extenuating circumstance. Baggaley said that he had been drug-tested at least fifty times in his career and had always tested negative. At the time Baggaley announced he wanted to return to kayaking after serving his suspension, with the comment that after 10 years of competition "I could seriously do with the rest." However the Australian Canoe Federation rejected a reinstatement application from Baggaley in October 2007 after his arrest with hundreds of ecstasy tablets earlier that same year.

In February 2007 police had stopped Baggaley and a companion in Mermaid Waters, Gold Coast, Queensland and on searching their car they found 762 ecstasy tablets, cannabis and cash. Baggaley was arrested again in November 2007 and jailed, facing more drug charges of manufacture and dealing ectasy. In February 2009, Baggaley pleaded guilty to manufacturing 1,509 tablets of the drug MDMA and to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug, and was due to be sentenced in March. His younger brother Dru, arrested with Nathan, pleaded guilty to manufacturing 13,500 tablets of MDMA and one count of supply. He was sentenced to nine years in jail with a non parole period of 5 years.

Additionally in July 2007, Nathan Baggaley was arrested after allegedly stealing a surf ski from the Byron Bay Surf Club. He pleaded guilty to theft and was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $70 court costs.

In June 2010 Baggaley was charged with possession of a prescribed restricted substance, being steroids, in jail at the Cessnock Correctional Centre. He was subsequently moved to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre. On 20 November 2011, Baggaley was released from the Grafton Correctional Centre, having served his custodial sentence.

Personal life

Baggaley has a longtime girlfriend, Emeere Roberts, whom he met in 2007.

References

• ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships - Part 1: flatwater (now sprint): 1936-2007.
• ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships - Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines: 1936-2007.

• Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). "Canoeing: Men's Kayak Singles 500 Meters". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. pp. 470–1.