Wada Palaver

Yeah so for my first blog I have decided it’s a great idea to tackle the subject of drugs in sport. A great idea considering the powers at be can’t even agree on the best way to deal with the issue. In short the crux of this story revolves around the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to proclaim the lifetime Olympic ban for British athletes no longer compatible with Wada’s ‘universal’ anti-doping policy. In recent years British athletes who receive a doping ban of more than 6 months have been banned from competing at the Olympics for life. In light of Lord Moynihan’s recent comments it seems the British Olympic Association are ready to take this case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a decision likely in April, therefore providing a messy, public and controversial interlude to our own games.

The two athletes most affected by this furore are sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar who would both consider themselves in with a shout of medals at next year’s games. The question of whether the BOA should be allowed to implement this rule is complex. The BOA argue its merely a question of selection and that they should be able to pick who they want and that drug cheats don’t symbolise the nature of British sport; fair play, it’s just not cricket and all of that village fayre hoopla. Wada argue they make the rules and if the best sprinter (in Chambers case) isn’t selected the BOA will be violating their code. USA seem willing to take LaShawn Merrit, a man whose lame excuse he was trying to enhance his male endowment so ‘accidentally’ took a shed load of steroids actually seemed to work.

Chambers maintains his innocence by ignorance and I have read Millar’s book and it didn’t really seem too him he had a choice if he wanted to be a pro road cyclist. I can sympathise yes. But I don’t want them at the Olympics. As far as I'm concerned they both tested positive in 2004 and 2005, the lifetime ban has been imposed since 1992. They were professional athletes, they knew what would have happened if they were caught. Taking ‘supplements’ of ‘unknown’ consistency doesn’t wash with me; we aren’t talking a dirty pint at the student union here we are talking cocktails of dangerous, enhancing and volatile drugs designed to give you an advantage other competitors. That, anyone who is actually reading this, is cheating. They and the other lesser known athletes on that BOA lifetime list passed up their chance for the Olympics the moment they made those mistakes. The ironic thing is both would probably have done well in their sports without the drugs.

Millar is now an active anti-doping campaigner, and I think that is a very commendable thing, but if the BOA doesn’t want ‘drug cheats’ at the games well quite frankly that is their choice not the choice of a few tax haven blessed men sitting around a table in Switzerland. Wada’s code is not universal, and that’s the real issue here, they want to employ a code in which every nation signs up to, but Wada’s current code doesn’t work, its toothless, and 3 month bans for drug cheating are commonplace.

Alberto Contador will be at the Olympics if Spain has the choice and that decision is likely in January. If the ICU and Wada win that one the mixed messages will be flying around all over the shop. Dwain and David can go but Alberto can’t because he cheated later then you. Nonsense, I believe in redemption but picture this scenario. You are born, you discover something you love doing, it turns out you are really good at it, you compete from a young age, you gain heroes and idols, you dream of going to the Olympics, one day you are selected after 20-30 years of hard work, training, tears. You put everything on hold in your life to represent your country and then someone who made the mistakes YOU didn’t make is allowed to go ahead of you. That’s the ultimate description of unfair, unjust and simply wrong. Sorry David and Dwain and anyone else, but you certainly don’t have my backing, I imagine you are deeply hurt.

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Rambled.