Nathan Baggaley

Nathan Baggaley (born 6 December 1975 in Byron Bay, New South Wales) is an Australian sprint canoeist and surfski champion. He is a three-time 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 and arrests.

Career summary Baggaley 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-1 500 m semifinals at Sydney in 2000. He became 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 said that he had been drug-tested at least 50 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. His younger brother Dru, arrested with Nathan, pleaded guilty to manufacturing 13,500 tablets of MDMA and one count of supply.

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. 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.

In November 2013, Baggaley was arrested by Australian Federal Police and charged with various counts of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug into Australia, conspiracy to manufacture and produce a prohibited drug (2C-B a psychedelic drug), the manufacture and production of a prohibited drug and one count of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. He was remanded in custody and officially refused bail. In February 2015 Baggaley pleaded guilty to "drug manufacturing and conspiracy charges". In December he was sentenced by Judge Leonie Flannery to a non-parole period of two years and three months.

In August 2018, Baggaley's brother, Dru Anthony Baggaley, was arrested in connection with the attempted importation of of cocaine. On 20 June 2019, Nathan Baggaley was arrested at his home in Byron Bay in connection with the same alleged crime, after "an ongoing investigation and evidence collection over the past 11 months." After pleading not guilty, on 1 April 2021 Baggaley and his brother were found guilty. Baggaley was sentenced to 25 years on 27 July 2021.