OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDERS ARRESTED ON MARIJUANA CHARGES

MINDEN, Nevada (AP) -- Two Olympic snowboarders are due in court Wednesday
on marijuana-related charges.

Michael Kildevaeld, a member of Denmark's snowboarding team, and Canadian
Brett Tippie were arrested Saturday after a sheriff's deputy stopped their
car for speeding on U.S. 395 near Topaz Lake.

American snowboarder Anton David Pogue, of Hood River, Ore., was asleep in
the vehicle at the time it was stopped. He was released.

Deputies said they smelled marijuana smoke while speaking to Kildevaeld,
who was driving. A drug sniffing dog found about two grams of what was
believed to be marijuana and a pipe inside the car.

Sheriff's Sgt. Lance Modispacher said Kildevaeld, 31, admitted the
substance belonged to him.

Kildevaeld has been charged with felony marijuana possession and
misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under
the influence. His bail was set at $7,000.

Tippie, 29, was charged with being under the influence of marijuana. His
bail was set at $5,000.

A preliminary hearing in Douglas County Justice Court was scheduled Wednesday.

Modispacher said the three were traveling from a snowboarding event to Big
Bear Ski Resort in Southern California.

The arrests mark the second marijuana-related controversy in the sport of
snowboarding.

Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati was temporarily stripped of his
Olympic goal medal at Nagano, Japan, when a drug test revealed traces of
marijuana in his system.

However, an appeals panel reinstated the medal. Rebagliati said traces of
the drug in his test came from inhaling second-hand smoke at a party.

Copyright 1998 Associated Press.