Drug cheats banned for life?

13/02/2008 17:01 - (SA)
dd/mm/yyyy


London - UK Athletics (UKA) on Thursday launched a review of its anti-doping policy that could result in athletes who are caught using performance-enhancing drugs being banned from representing Great Britain for life.

The review, which will be conducted by an advocate of lifetime bans, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, was announced a day after UKA reluctantly agreed to select sprinter Dwain Chambers for next month's World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain.

Chambers served a two-year ban for using the banned anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) up to 2006 and, after a failed attempt to convert to American football, is now trying to rebuild his track career.

He had threatened legal action if he was excluded from the Great Britain team after winning last weekend's 60m race at the national trials.

Announcing the review, UKA Chief Executive Niels de Vos said: "Athletics must act now, and must act decisively, to strengthen its own ability to select the athletes it wants to select.

More at: News24.com

This is a good thing IMHO

*EDIT- This is a good idea, IF they come up with a way to ensure that the test are done correctly, and with safe guards to protect wrongfully accused athletes.. (Actually you shouldn't have one with out the other, the labs are quite prone to error, the athletes need some protection from zealous lab techs, and lab managers trying to garner localized political favor).

Canada is also very strict though I'm not sure if it's a lifetime ban here. The world anti-doping agency is headquartered in Montreal with Dick Pound as the head of that. I'm not sure about zero-tolerance though I don't want to see those east-german babes either.

augie wrote:

Canada is also very strict though I'm not sure if it's a lifetime ban here. The world anti-doping agency is headquartered in Montreal with Dick Pound as the head of that. I'm not sure about zero-tolerance though I don't want to see those east-german babes either.

Hmmmm I think Old Dick has quite a fitting name.. Whats the matter Augie, Helga got you scared, but what if she is here to 'PUMP YOU UP'? LOL
I believe Mr. Pound has let his power go to his head (but thats only one guys opinion)

rippinchikkin wrote:

Hmmmm I think Old Dick has quite a fitting name.. Whats the matter Augie, Helga got you scared, but what if she is here to 'PUMP YOU UP'? LOL I believe Mr. Pound has let his power go to his head (but thats only one guys opinion)

Hahaha@Helga. Yes, Mr. Pound has gone quite too far IMO as it makes it look like a witch hunt and not a regulatory board. I can understand your beef with him about Armstrong and of Landis which he said "Pound declared "I mean, it was 11 to 1!" referring to the testosterone-to-epitestosterone level. "You’d think he’d be violating every virgin within 100 miles. How does he even get on his bicycle?" I'm not too sure what he meant by that.

BTW, the steroid thing with the Mitchell report is live right now with Clemens and McNamee.(sp?) Somehow they both come out as guilty of something.

LOL, here's CNN's poll about the testimony. Hmm? Question is, who do you believe.