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Cyclist French wins defamation payout

Posted December 1, 2008 17:19:00

Olympic cyclist Mark French has won a damages payout from a radio station that wrongly implied he was a drug cheat.

The jury found French had been defamed by comments aired on Triple M in 2004, labelling him un-Australian and a drug cheat.

The Victorian Supreme Court heard broadcaster James Brayshaw said French was "a dirty, stinking, dobbing cyclist".

The jury found the comments were defamatory, untrue and malicious and French was awarded $350,000 in damages plus costs and interest of $57,000.

He hugged his lawyer, partner and family after the verdict was handed down.

French was found guilty of doping charges in 2004, but the finding was overturned on appeal.

Tags: radio, information-and-communication, broadcasting, radio, law-crime-and-justice, crime, courts-and-trials, sport, cycling, australia, vic, melbourne-3000