[robinph]

So it look like Dwain Chambers will be let compete in the Olympics again now if he qualifies. I was relatively content with him competing in the European stuff for the last while, but not sure I'm happy with him getting back into the Olympic team.

I was very surprised though to see that Darren Campbell seemed to be accepting of him being allowed to take part again as until recently he was quite rightly the most vocal of those against him after he lost his medals because of Chambers. He seems to be basing that position on the fact that the US are letting people back in, so why shouldn't the UK.

Hopefully the BOA just pick who they want to pick and ignore Chambers whatever times he gets if there are enough others with times.

[Pherekydes]

I wonder will the policy of excluding Chambers from relay teams come back to bite UKA?

[Pisco Sour]

Look, I don't agree one bit with him being allowed to run in London. Bans should be for life. But this scapegoating of Dwain Chambers has to stop. There are numerous brazen Eastern European and Russian athletes back from drug bans and nobody is talking about them. Chambers has been completely open and honest about everything, and appears to genuinely regret what he has done. I believe he is running clean now, and while he shouldn't be running, he is at the very least a good example of a reformed drug cheat.

Contrast this to others, who make rubbish excuses, continue to deny any wrongdoing even after their ban has ended, come back as brazen as ever. How come nobody talks about Stambolova? No way should that one be allowed anywhere near London!

It just doesnt seem fair that the one who has shown remorse gets more abuse in the media than those c*nts who repeatedly drag our sport under the mud!

[RoyMcC]

Originally Posted by Pherekydes

I wonder will the policy of excluding Chambers from relay teams come back to bite UKA?

The GB relay teams are so flaky anyway I doubt inserting him into the squads will disrupt them.

Generally I'm on the fence on this - there are solid arguments on both sides. In the end though I'll shout for anyone in a Brit vest.

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by RoyMcC

The GB relay teams are so flaky anyway I doubt inserting him into the squads will disrupt them.

Generally I'm on the fence on this - there are solid arguments on both sides. In the end though I'll shout for anyone in a Brit vest.

Oh I certainly wont shout for him, but I feel he hasn't had an equal punishment to other drug cheats.

[TheRoadRunner]

Originally Posted by 04072511

Oh I certainly wont shout for him, but I feel he hasn't had an equal punishment to other drug cheats.

How crap, the moon must be aligned with Venus or something as I totally agree with 04072511, there's a first

The scapegoating of Chambers is way OTT. He cheated got caught, owned up and served his ban. Based on the current laws he is entitled to compete again. I'm not saying that is right but them the laws. I liked the BOA stance but realistically why should Chambers be banned when other cheaters are allowed to compete. Not only are there Eastern Europeans and Russians competing people like Justin Gatlin are back as well.

I know this is a bit OT but there is rarely any mention of Rio Ferdinand's missed drug test and subsequent ban as well as other professional footballers who have been banned over the years (in fairness those drugs were more likely to be recreational).

[robinph]

Don't really have a problem with Chambers myself on this, he has just done what is needed to be treated fairly with the other cheats. Can't for the life of me understand why the case went against BOA though and how someone somewhere hasn't thought that it might be a good idea to bring everyone else into line with their position rather than making the BOA move to a less strict position.

They still don't have to take him though as unlike the USA their policy has always allowed them to pick who they want rather than just who wins the trials.

[water-man]

I'm with Roadrunner & 040.. on this.

He is a cheat but the media seem to be really pick him out. There are also other cheats on the english team like the shot putter and 400m woman (can't remember their names now). And before anyone says she didn't fail a test missing 3 test is exactly the same as failing one in my opinion.

WM

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by TheRoadRunner

I know this is a bit OT but there is rarely any mention of Rio Ferdinand's missed drug test and subsequent ban as well as other professional footballers who have been banned over the years (in fairness those drugs were more likely to be recreational).

Diego Maradona. The fact he failed a test for ephidrine (spelling?) at USA 94 is usually very much swept under the carpet, and his reputation is intact.

He is a legend to be fair, but just goes to show how different sports treat such things.

[TheRoadRunner]

Originally Posted by water-man

There are also other cheats on the english team like the shot putter and 400m woman (can't remember their names now). And before anyone says she didn't fail a test missing 3 test is exactly the same as failing one in my opinion.

WM

It's the British team by the way

Christine Ohuruogu, great example. Yep current Olympic 400 metre champion. The quote below is from wikipedia

Christine Ohuruogu was suspended from competing in the 2006 European Athletics Championships. The reason for this was that she missed three out-of-competition drug tests, known as the "whereabouts" system, of the World Anti-Doping Code; one in October 2005 and two in June 2006.[10] According to IAAF and British Olympic Association rules, she received a one-year ban for missing these tests, which expired on 5 August 2007.[11]


The British Olympic Association also imposed a lifetime ban excluding Ohuruogu from competing at future Olympic Games for Great Britain.[12] She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the original decision was upheld.[13] Ohuruogu submitted a further appeal, and stated that she would probably leave Britain and compete in the Olympics for another country if it was unsuccessful.[14][15] Her Olympic ban was finally overturned on 27 November 2007.

[PainIsTemporary]

Originally Posted by TheRoadRunner

I know this is a bit OT but there is rarely any mention of Rio Ferdinand's missed drug test and subsequent ban as well as other professional footballers who have been banned over the years (in fairness those drugs were more likely to be recreational).

Recreational?! There's little doubt about it that some of those boys are on harder stuff than recreational drugs if the rest of Europe (Spain/France/Italy) is anything to go by:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/...g-cases_198209

[TheRoadRunner]

Originally Posted by PainIsTemporary

Recreational?! There's little doubt about it that some of those boys are on harder stuff than recreational drugs if the rest of Europe (Spain/France/Italy) is anything to go by:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/...g-cases_198209

True wouldn't deny that at all. When money is involved and there is a lot of money in soccer, I would expect some people to cheat.

However the examples where premiership soccer players have been caught are usually linked to recreational drugs. Paddy Kenny and Adrian Mutu are two that come to mind.

[Getonwithit]

Drug use is as prevalent if not more so in other sports IMO. Excellent Channel 4 documentary on drugs in football last Autumn. FA in England is scared of finding cheats and the testing structures are far from as rigourus as in our sport. Anecdotal eveidence would suggest that its even common in some distinguished amateur sports out here on the rock.

Re the WADA decision it has been clinically proven that some of the bannede substances have a lifetime long benefit. Its a very difficult question to deal with. In order to completly clean the sport and bring in lifetime bans you woud have to re ban previously proven cases and start from scratch. What would it mean to the records of athletes who later tested positive?

[PainIsTemporary]

Originally Posted by TheRoadRunner

True wouldn't deny that at all. When money is involved and there is a lot of money in soccer, I would expect some people to cheat.

However the examples where premiership soccer players have been caught are usually linked to recreational drugs. Paddy Kenny and Adrian Mutu are two that come to mind.

That may say more about the testing systems they have in place in the English Premiership than anything else.

[Pisco Sour]

Originally Posted by Getonwithit

Drug use is as prevalent if not more so in other sports IMO.

Can that documentary be found anywhere online? I'd love to see it.