Court refusal pedals ex-top cyclist closer to prison
A former New Zealand world cycling champion who has so far refused to engage with court processes has been told that he is perilously close to a jail term.
The refusal means Marc Ryan, a key part of the New Zealand men’s team pursuit track cycling team for 14 years, had his sentencing on a third drink-driving charge, and one of driving while disqualified, delayed when he appeared in the Timaru District Court on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old, who won bronze medals in the team pursuit at the Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Olympics, and a gold in the same event at the 2015 World Championships in Paris, blew 1420 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath when stopped while driving in Manchester St, Christchurch on January 4. The drink-driving infringement level for drivers aged over 20 is 250mcg, while the criminal limit is 400mcg.
Judge Campbell Savage said it was “another conviction with an astronomical reading”, and it was close on he heels of a conviction with a similar level almost two years ago.
Ryan pleaded guilty to the charges in March, and was ordered to complete a pre-sentence report that was to address his suitability for an electronically monitored sentence. That has not happened.
The judge said on Wednesday one option was prison, with Ryan then given leave to apply for a substitution.
Ryan was told he had to put forward an address that could be checked to see if it was suitable for an electronically monitored sentence.
“And it would be really helpful to you if you could put some evidence before the court of steps that you’ve taken to get the drinking under control, because it’s getting pretty serious,” Judge Savage said.
“I might have thought that you would have realised that you were heading in that direction at your last conviction.”
At that conviction, on August 25, 2022, Ryan was sentenced to a 28-day disqualification that was to be followed by an alcohol interlock device licence, but he never applied for it.
Ryan retired from racing in 2016, having attended three Olympic Games. At the Commonwealth Games, Ryan won silver in Delhi in 2010, and bronze in Melbourne in 2006.
Besides the 2015 gold at the World Championships, there were bronzes in Melbourne in 2012, and in 2014 (individual and team) in Cali, France.
Ryan will now be sentenced on October 24.