Dwain Chambers

[Pubey]

at last some sensible comments from a fellow athlete (The Guardian)

Yes: Simeon Williamson, British sprinter and rival for a place in the national squad

The current rules say that if you've served your time, which Dwain has, that you should be allowed to come back. And that's what he has done so I don't have a problem with that.

But I do think that the rules should be changed so if you get caught in future you should be banned for the rest of your life because you are a drugs cheat. That does not apply to Dwain, though, because he has served his ban under the current rules so we should get off his back. But the rules should be tightened in the future - going forward I don't think people should be given a second chance.

It is not like Dwain is getting off lightly with things, though, because as things stand he will also miss the Olympics for the rest of his career and that is the biggest thing in an athlete's life. The world s are the next biggest competition after the Olympics but they are not as special. I think it is right that he should not be allowed to run at the Olympics again.

Dwain did not set a good example to other athletes but at least he admitted what he did, which half the other athletes who are banned for drugs off ences never do. I don't think it is true that Dwain has damaged the reputation of British athletics because there are other drugs cheats out there, like the shot-putter Carl Myerscough and there wasn't such a big thing about him.

He served a two-year ban a few years ago but he was at Sheffield for the trials for the world indoors team and he has been selected for the championships. There has been no suggestion that his presence has damaged our reputation. I think people are looking a little at the man rather than the issue here because Dwain has a bit of a reputation.

Dwain is one of our best medal chances. He is joint fifth in the world in the 60 metres at the moment so he has a real chance of success. We should be grateful we have got someone like him. He is a talented sprinter who made a wrong decision at that moment in his life.

The other athletes I've spoken to are behind Dwain 100%. Obviously there are a few people out there who are against him but the ones I've spoken to are behind him.

I'll be cheering him at the worlds as part of the team like I will be for any other athlete, but if I'm there hopefully I'll be running past him when I do. I'll be one of the first people to congratulate him, if I get the gold and he gets the silver.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Do the Olympic exclusion rules for drug cheats apply to all sports or is it just an athletics specific rule?

Thinking of David Millar who (if allowed to compete) would be a serious medal hope for the cycling time-trial in Beijing.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Do the Olympic exclusion rules for drug cheats apply to all sports or is it just an athletics specific rule?

Thinking of David Millar who (if allowed to compete) would be a serious medal hope for the cycling time-trial in Beijing.

I think countries would struggle to put forward a cycling team, if you were only allowed clean riders.

There's something not quite right about the whole Dwain Chambers witch-hunt. Why is he being singled out? Why now, and why not earlier, when he made his first comeback?

Why was everyone cheering for Christine Ohurghuguhguhguhguhgu when she was coming straight back for violating anti-doping laws, but won't now cheer for Chambers? Why is UK athletics getting Linford Christie to mentor young athletes, but not Dwain Chambers?

Is it because Chambers admitted it? Did he break a code of silence?

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I think countries would struggle to put forward a cycling team, if you were only allowed clean riders.

Oi! Low blow.
As I've said before cycling is the most tested of all sports and is probably one of the only ones where they're desperately trying to clean up their act.
Therefore positive test per capita is probably not that high on average.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Carl Myerscough (served a ban for steroids) has certainly avoided a lot of stick. It does of course help that his event - shot putt - is one we have no great tradition in (with apologies to Geoff Capes) and that he's rarely in the mix when it comes to medals, but even so, he gets away very lightly in comparison to Chambers.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Do the Olympic exclusion rules for drug cheats apply to all sports or is it just an athletics specific rule?

Thinking of David Millar who (if allowed to compete) would be a serious medal hope for the cycling time-trial in Beijing.

That is specifically a British Olympic Association rule and I believe it covers all sports.

 

[The General]

Oi! Low blow.
As I've said before cycling is the most tested of all sports and is probably one of the only ones where they're desperately trying to clean up their act.
Therefore positive test per capita is probably not that high on average.

He has a very good point ...

:eek:

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

I think countries would struggle to put forward a cycling team, if you were only allowed clean riders.

There's something not quite right about the whole Dwain Chambers witch-hunt. Why is he being singled out? Why now, and why not earlier, when he made his first comeback?

Why was everyone cheering for Christine Ohurghuguhguhguhguhgu when she was coming straight back for violating anti-doping laws, but won't now cheer for Chambers? Why is UK athletics getting Linford Christie to mentor young athletes, but not Dwain Chambers?

Is it because Chambers admitted it? Did he break a code of silence?

The impression that UK Athletics would like to give is that Chambers is making this comeback for his own benefit, and I'm inclined to believe them since Chambers is still to pay back some of his winnings (thus making the argument that he has served his punishment obselete).

However, UKA have stuffed up because, believing that Chambers had turned his back on the sport, they decided that they wouldn't continue the out-of-competition drug-testing on him over the past year, meaning that he has had one drugs test over the past twelve months, which, considering his track record (no pun intended) is pretty crazy. They also implemented the rule that the winner of the Indoor Trials automatically qualified for the World Indoors, which shut off another possible route out of it.

Some of what Simeon Williamson is right - the laws should be tightened up, and I think if you've taken drugs, you shouldn't be able to compete again. Lord Coe has said that it is naive to believe that any athlete convicted of taking drugs was unaware that they were doing it, and I think that's 99% true. But, the laws as they are mean that Chambers can sprint in the World Indoors, or the World Outdoors, or the European Championships, and we're probably stuck with that.

There are a great number of inconsistences in UKA policy (rightly identified primarily with Myerscough - Ohorugu probably differs because she didn't actually fail a drugs test), but that does not mean that they should not start taking a tough stance now.

 

[SUFC Forever]

Marion Jones went to prison and lost her Olympic medals for her crimes so why was Sharon Davies (silver medalist) never given the gold after Russian swimmer who beat her in the 1980 Olympics was found to have been drug induced and thereafter banned?

 

[Uncle Leo]

Marion Jones went to prison and lost her Olympic medals for her crimes so why was Sharon Davies (silver medalist) never given the gold after Russian swimmer who beat her in the 1980 Olympics was found to have been drug induced and thereafter banned?

Marion Jones went to prison for perjury rather than for taking drugs to improve her athletic performance. Whilst the latter is unsavoury, it's not illegal.

Sharon Davies was indeed rather unlucky, but one of the most unfortunate was US swimmer Shirley Babashoff, who came in to Montreal 76 fancied to win as many as five golds.

However, upon arrival in the changing rooms, there seemed to be a lot of unknown East Germans with rather gruff voices. Cue one gold, but four silvers, all to East Germans who subsequently had big question marks against them. And big bollocks as well probably.

 

[Pubey]

Carl Myerscough (served a ban for steroids) has certainly avoided a lot of stick. It does of course help that his event - shot putt - is one we have no great tradition in (with apologies to Geoff Capes) and that he's rarely in the mix when it comes to medals, but even so, he gets away very lightly in comparison to Chambers.

agreed.. I was at the Sheffield trials and that was exactly what the bloke next to me was on about. he served his time and is going to the World Indoors and no one has batted an eyelid. Dwain is sorry for what he did, has served his time (plus any winnings have to go to pay off the £100k he owes in prize money) and so let him get on with it IMO

 

[Pubey]

The impression that UK Athletics would like to give is that Chambers is making this comeback for his own benefit, and I'm inclined to believe them since Chambers is still to pay back some of his winnings (thus making the argument that he has served his punishment obselete).

However, UKA have stuffed up because, believing that Chambers had turned his back on the sport, they decided that they wouldn't continue the out-of-competition drug-testing on him over the past year, meaning that he has had one drugs test over the past twelve months, which, considering his track record (no pun intended) is pretty crazy. They also implemented the rule that the winner of the Indoor Trials automatically qualified for the World Indoors, which shut off another possible route out of it.

Some of what Simeon Williamson is right - the laws should be tightened up, and I think if you've taken drugs, you shouldn't be able to compete again. Lord Coe has said that it is naive to believe that any athlete convicted of taking drugs was unaware that they were doing it, and I think that's 99% true. But, the laws as they are mean that Chambers can sprint in the World Indoors, or the World Outdoors, or the European Championships, and we're probably stuck with that.

There are a great number of inconsistences in UKA policy (rightly identified primarily with Myerscough - Ohorugu probably differs because she didn't actually fail a drugs test), but that does not mean that they should not start taking a tough stance now.

Alain Baxter lost his Slalom bronze because he used an American Vicks Inhaler instead of a UK one, which doesn't contain some banned substance. I think there are genuine reasons (all be it rare) why someone could take a banned substance unwittingly

 

[Uncle Leo]

Well he's got a silver medal now. A shame, but predictable, that the Chambers story totally overshadowed silver medals for Kelly Sotherton (probably expected) and Jeanette Kwakye (a very pleasant surprise).

I guess the next stop for Chambers and his people is the BOA to try and get him running in the Olympics. There already seems to be a general softening of attitudes towards him, looks like he may get invited to run in Grands Prix this summer after all.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Chamber = Cheat. End of. No 2nd chances, as his wasn't an accident.

The way around it is for all athletes to refuse to run against him. No opponents, no races for him to compete in!

 

[londonblue]

Chamber = Cheat. End of. No 2nd chances, as his wasn't an accident.

The way around it is for all athletes to refuse to run against him. No opponents, no races for him to compete in!

The punishment should fit the crime. Next time you get caught drink driving i'll expect you to never drive again.

Moreover, the rules should be consistent in the way they are applied. Carl Myerscough was banned for two years, came back and nothing more was said. Why has everyone got it in for Dwain?