The day has finally come! WADA are finally questioning the British Olympic Association's Anti-Doping By-law that bans British athletes from future Olympic Games if they have served bans for drug cheating. Apparently BOA can now be deemed as "non-compliant" with world rules when it comes to bans on drug cheats.
Let's get one thing clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong in principle with the British Olympic Association stance of banning athletes from participating in future Olympics if they have served bans of over a period of six months for drug cheating. In fact, having the courage to stand up to the drug cheats is commendable.
The problem arises in that Britain is one of the few countries in the world that take this hard line stance. It's a British Olympic law not an Olympic one and it makes it extremely difficult for WADA to create a viable drug policy if every country does as it pleases. Let's not forget LaShawn Merritt, the 400 metres American runner who had served a drug ban, was successful in quashing his imposed ban in participating in the proceeding Olympics, as his lawyers successfully won the argument that the ban from the Olympics was additional sanction on top of his ban and therefore not compliant with WADA.
So we could well see the likes of Dwayne Chambers and David Millar partcipating at London 2012, through numerous legal loopholes created by incompetance of organisations at the highest global to come up with a credible stance that really does tackle the drug taking in sport. Embarrasing really.
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