Drugs ban rule should be same for all – Ennis

The 25-year-old world silver medallist and European champion revealed that she believes drug cheats should face no extra punishment on the grounds of their nationality, as the British Olympic Association (BOA) prepare to defend the lifetime ban they impose on offenders.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said the BOA rule – which disqualifies offenders from Olympic Games selection even after serving suspensions – violated the global code. And they have insisted that the BOA remove their ban to fall in line with the rest of the world.

The by-law, brought in 19 years ago, means the BOA have been declared “non-compliant” with the code by WADA’s foundation board.

The WADA ruling increases the chances of sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar being able to compete at the London Olympics next summer having previously served bans for drug offences.

The BOA remain steadfast in their belief that lifetime Olympic bans meted out to Chambers, Miller and other offenders should stand and will aim to test their legal right to maintain such a punishment by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

They said in a statement the ruling “will bring clarity and closure” to their dispute with WADA over the lifetime ban.

Ennis, the 2009 world champion and silver medallist in defence of that title earlier this year, said: “I think it’s a difficult one and I do think it should be a standard rule and it should be the same for everyone.

“But it’s out of our hands as athletes and it’s for WADA and the BOA to come to some agreement.”

Rather than expand on her views, the golden girl of British athletics is more focused on what she can control in the Olympic Stadium next August when she bids to win gold in the heptathlon.

“You don’t want to get too wrapped up in all rules and politics,” she said.

“It’s out of our hands. As athletes we have to perform and go along with those rules.”

If Ennis hinted at uniformity across the board, York sprinter Richard Buck was more forthright in his backing.

The 25-year-old could face Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt in the 400m next summer, following the American’s successful appeal to CAS to have his International Olympic Committee (IOC) drugs ban overturned; a decision that sparked the whole dispute between national and world governing bodies.

Buck said: “I’m perfectly happy to go with whatever the governing bodies and WADA decide, they’re in a better place than I am to make decisions.