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Australian Olympic hockey player arrested for alleged purchase of cocaine in Paris

Australian hockey team member Thomas Craig speaks out after being arrested in Paris for allegedly buying cocaine.

After the Aussies were knocked out of medal contention, Craig reportedly left a team meeting on Tuesday and was arrested 15 minutes later.

“I want to first of all apologize for what happened over the last 24 hours. I made a terrible mistake. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Craig told reporters outside the police station.

“My actions are my own actions and in no way reflect the values ​​of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport and the Australian Olympic team. I have embarrassed you all. I am truly sorry,”

Craig was not convinced, but was given a warning by a French judge.

The Australian National Olympic Committee released a statement expressing its disappointment with Craig.

“I cannot condone what Tom did. He is a good person who made a bad decision. But there are consequences for decisions like this,” Anna Meares, Australia’s Chief of Mission, said in a statement via Reuters.

“As a result, Tom will lose all of his remaining Olympic privileges. He had already moved out of the Olympic Village and I understand he had no intention of returning for the closing ceremony. If he had, he would not be able to attend.

“Our team has conducted itself in an exemplary manner during these Games, and its actions do not reflect the values ​​of the team, nor do they diminish the achievements of this team.”

“Police officers who witnessed a cocaine transaction at the foot of a building in the 9th arrondissement (of Paris), on the night of August 6 to 7, arrested the seller, born in December 2006, and the buyer, born in September 1995 in Australia,” Paris police said.

Craig, who won silver with Australia at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, played in more than 100 matches for Australia.

Reuters contributed to this story.

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