Drugs ban rule should be same for all – Ennis

Sheffield’s Jessica Ennis yesterday attempted to distance herself from the drugs debate that is dominating the Olympic landscape.

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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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“What we do need to do is make it very clear what is and isn’t allowed.

“It also needs to be made clear that if there are going to be people who have served a ban that will be allowed to run in the Olympics, then everyone who has served a ban should be allowed to run in the Olympics.

“We need consistency across the board, to help clear up the ambiguity.”

Kelly Sotherton, who was Britain’s No 1 heptathlete until Ennis came along, is one of the many British athletes who support the BOA stance.

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Sotherton wrote on Twitter: “I think the athletes REALLY need to get behind the BOA. As athletes, we want a ‘clean’ games (in all sports).”

Sotherton later added, when invited to look at the case of repentant cyclist Millar: “These people have regrets I understand but a price still has to be paid and the price is “no Olympics!”.”

The BOA added yesterday: “We look forward to receiving the formal findings from WADA setting out how they have determined the BOA’s selection policy is non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.

“On behalf of the overwhelming majority of British athletes we will vigorously defend any challenge to the selection policy which bans drug cheats from representing Team GB and we will publish the process we intend to follow in the near future.”

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The BOA are keen to resolve the dispute as soon as practically possible so it does not interfere with the build-up to the London 2012 Games.

They also would prefer to be involved in a test case with another organisation at CAS rather than take on a banned athlete, such as Chambers, in the High Court because it would be less disruptive and considerably cheaper in terms of legal fees.