On thursday, British athlete Dwain Chambers lost his high court appeal to be allowed to join the British Olympic team for Beijing 2008, to run the 100m, despite having a drug conviction. According to the British Olympic Association rules, no athlete who has ever taken performance enhancing drugs can compete in the British Olympic Team.

Chambers' argument was that since he had served a two year ban, to exclude him from the olympic team would be to punish him twice. He also qualified at the olympic trials as the top of the British atheletes.

A host of other British athletes (past and present) have spoken out against his potential inclusion in the squad, and have expressed relief at the ruling of the high court.

Britain is currently the only olympic country which places a lifetime olympic ban on drugs offenders.


What are your opinions on this? Do you think Chambers should or should not be allowed to run?

He took the drugs, he suffers the consequences. It doesn't matter how good he is physically, an Olympian has to be a good role-model as well. They are representing the whole of the country after all. Glad they snuffed 'im.

I agree, to be honest. The rules have been there for years. He knew the consequences when he took the drugs, and has no right to complain. If he doesn't like it, he shouldn't have taken steroids.

I'm not sure about what happened. Did the decision come from the Olympic committee or the British Government? I think that sort of thing should be handled by the people handling the Olympics, if that helps.

The BOA said they didn't want him on the squad, due to the fact that he had been caught taking steroids, and their rules excluded him permanently from the olympics. They didn't even want him at the trials, but his lawyers muscled him in. Then they attempted to make the high court force the BOA to allow him to join the squad.

And I agree, it's got nothing to do with the courts, hence why the judge refused to overrule the BOA's decision.

In my opinion the Olympics is not about being the best your country can offer anymore.
It is who can take the drugs without being caught who get to go.
I have read so often that this country or that country know who takes them and then fudge the tests.
They let athletes from other countries become citizens so they can compete for them.
It is more about money than skill or desire any more.
They aren't even amateurs most of the time.
Hockey is the NHL stars and the skaters are all being paid for shows and then go to the olympics as amateurs.
I think they should call it quits or get back to basics or at least back to a level playing field.