THE British Olympic Association would "vigorously defend" any legal challenge by Dwain Chambers to its ruling which prevents drug cheats from competing at any future Olympics.
Former World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound yesterday said he did not believe the BOA bylaw which bans drug cheats from competing for Team GB was legally watertight and does not comply with WADA legislation.
Chambers, who failed a drugs test
in 2003, is considering a legal challenge to the law, and Pound, who stood down in November, admits the legality of the ruling could well be tenuous.
"As a matter of law, I think the BOA would be on pretty shaky ground," 65-year-old Pound told BBC Sport. "If the BOA sought to deny me a place in the 2008 Olympic team on the basis solely of my earlier drugs offence, I would say that they don't have the power to do that. If you serve the penalty that was deemed appropriate – for whatever the offence was – you are entitled to be reintegrated into society."
However, a BOA spokesman said: "First, as it stands Dwain Chambers is ineligible for selection for Team GB because he has committed a serious doping offence. Secondly, he is eligible to appeal if he wishes to and there are three grounds on which he could appeal. That the doping offence was minor, there was a finding of no fault or negligence on his part or there are significant mitigating circumstances in relation to the doping offence.
"Thirdly, we have not received any appeal from him. And finally, we will vigorously defend any case that comes to us."
The full article contains 278 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
