Jobie Dajka

Jobie Dajka
Personal information
Full name	Jobie Lee Dajka
Nickname	Wheels
Born	11 December 1981; Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died	4 April 2009 (aged 27)
Team information
Discipline	Track
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Major wins
	Keirin world champion (2002)
Medal record
Representing Australia
Track cycling
Commonwealth Games
World Championship

Jobie Lee Dajka (11 December 1981 – 4 April 2009) was an Australian professional track cyclist from Adelaide, South Australia.

Biography

Dajka received an AIS Junior Athlete of the Year award in 1999, and an Achievement Award in 2002 and 2003.^[2] He missed selection for the 2000 Olympic Games, but competed in the 2002 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, winning the Keirin.

Dajka was sent home from the 2004 pre-Olympic training camp, accused of having lied to the enquiries into the Mark French doping affair. His appeal at his expulsion and later suspension was unsuccessful.^[3] After this, he became disillusioned and became a very heavy drinker, and gained a lot of weight. Following a tribunal on 15 June 2005, he received a three-year ban following an assault on Martin Barras, the Australian national track coach. He also vandalised his parents' home and was put under a restraining order. After suffering emotional and mental problems, Dajka had a brief stay in an Adelaide hospital suffering depression and alcohol-related stress.^[4] Dajka's racing licence was reinstated on 22 December 2006; his ban was lifted early in accordance with conditions set out in the 2005 tribunal- that he sought immediate medical treatment and completed 80 hours of community service.^[5]

Dajka later regained his normal health and stopped drinking, and there was talk of a comeback. However, Dajka was found dead in his home by police on 7 April 2009. The cause of his death is unknown, but police said the death is not believed to be suspicious.^[6]^[7]