The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday ruled the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) lifetime ban on drugs cheats contravened the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
CAS’s decision gave the green light to the likes of British sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar, previously guilty of doping offences, to take part in the upcoming London Olympics should they achieve the qualifying standard and/or be selected by their national governing body.
“The CAS Panel has ruled that the BOA bye-law related to the selection of British athletes for the Olympic Games was not in compliance with the World Anti-doping Code,” CAS said in a statement. “Such decision confirms the jurisprudence established last year in the case between the US Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”
BOA chairman Colin Moynihan reacted to the CAS verdict by saying WADA had won a “hollow victory”.
The CAS ruling had been widely expected since the IOC lost a similar case in November after their Osaka rule — banning drugs cheats from the next Olympics even if their suspension was completed — was challenged.
The case was brought by USOC on behalf of their 400m runner LaShawn Merritt. WADA had fought the BOA’s policy of imposing life bans for the Olympics, arguing it contravened their own code.
John Fahey, the president of WADA, welcomed the CAS ruling but slammed the BOA for “the many hysterical and inaccurate public statements” it had made during the case.
“The decision totally rejects the BOA appeal and upholds the WADA foundation board’s declaration of non-compliance,” Fahey said.”WADA has spent the last decade harmonising the fight against doping in sport across the world by creating one set of rules in consultation and in accordance with the wishes of all its stakeholders, both sport and government. “They are not based on emotive arguments or the wishes of any one signatory or individual.” Former European 100m champion Chambers, who won 60m bronze in this year’s world indoor event in Istanbul last month, was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid THG in 2004.
Chambers’s lawyer, Siza Agha accused the BOA of “colonial arrogance” and said his client would take take time to consider CAS’s decision.
“In my view as hosts for the 2012 Olympics, this delicate and emotive issue required international diplomacy, foresight and responsibility. “What we have received has been a crude and defiant display fuelled by misguided statements such as ‘We have standards and the rest of the world doesn’t’.
“It has in my view been an exposure of colonial arrogance that even the most extreme and blinkered should have realised could only serve to marginalise British opinion on the international stage. “In complete contrast WADA have in my view been the model of professionalism and dignity in the face of the most extreme provocation. Lessons should be learned by their example.” Agha added: “Having not been party to the CAS case, Dwain and I will now need to take time to privately digest and consider the reasoning behind the decision.”
Millar also served a doping ban in 2004.
