Do you want Dwain Chambers to represent GB in the Olympics?

**rolfw** · 30-06-2008

Well I don't, what about everyone else?

As you've all probably heard, he is taking his case to the high court, I really don't care what he wants, only that anyone who represents us in the Olympics should be honest and not a convicted drug cheat.

***Yorks*** · 30-06-2008

I'd even support Duane Eddy if he had a chance of winning a medal.

Seriously, I don't think Dwain Chambers should be allowed to compete.
It only serves to confuse. Youngsters may consider following in his footsteps if they think they will be given a second chance.

No form of drug taking should be endorsed - well apart from that stuff that keeps me on an even keel.

**jimbo** · 30-06-2008

No I do not. In fact the whole Olympics ideal has been tainted recently with him, Marion Jones and others.

I had a text read out on London ITV in which I said, "I tend to look at every winner now and wonder if they are on drugs"

**Topper** · 30-06-2008

I have also answered no on this one but feel a bit sad in doing so because I have not been following this one on the news or anything so I am not up to speed. But if he has done his time as demanded by the authorities and is now clean whilst a lot of people may have lost faith in him it does seem harsh to continue to penalise him still for the rest of his career, however short that may be.

**Salty25** · 30-06-2008

I haven't voted because I'm not sure. As much as the whole thing disgust me, like Topper says, how long can you keep penalising someone?

Perhaps there should be a much longer ban from competition, or only from top level competition.

He was found to be doping in 2004, so maybe he should be allowed to compete from 2006 but banned from top level competitions until after the next Olympic Games in Beijing (starts next month, so 4 after the offence).

If that were to be the case, Chambers would have still been able to gain trust back but also been 'doing his time' by missing various World, European and Commonwealth Championship and Games. If he was still interested in competing after going through that, you'd have to say he wants it.

However, I don't think for a minute that Chambers helps himself in the way he portrays himself as something of a bad boy. Chambers is far from the iconic example of a 'reborn honest athlete'. It's hard to believe he's truly sorry for what he done.

**jimbo** · 30-06-2008

Maybe the point is that the drugs helped him to build up his body whereby he's now able to maintain it without drugs. So the drugs gave him the start he needed and he would continue to benefit in the future. Clean athletes may have needed to work a lot harder to get to Chamber's level of fitness.

**PaulR** · 30-06-2008

I have to say I've never heard of him so have no idea.

**rolfw** · 30-06-2008

Thanks for correcting the spelling salty.

I'd never seen it written down.

My reasons for saying no are as follows:

He may have served his ban for non-Olympic competition, but he hasn't for Olympic competition, as it was a lifetime ban and I think that should stay.

By his self centred behaviour, he cost other GB athletes to suffer the disgrace of having medals taken away from them, he no doubt cost other athletes medals in races where he won a medal and pushed them out of the top three.

We will never know whether his drug taking has given him a permanent advantage in body mass and strength, plus he had not been checked during the period of the ban, so could have continued taking the drugs well through that time, only stopping in time for them not to show once back in the testing regime.

He showed very little remorse after the event and refused to help the authorities with information as to who was supplying the drugs to athletes, only now when the information is of little use, has he started to supply it, probably because he feels it will help his case for Olympic reinstatement.

He has no interest whatsoever in the country, only his own private finances, if he wants to earn a living, he can train to do a proper job like the rest of us have had to.

I do not want this egotistic drug cheat running in the name of my country!

**Analoguesat** · 30-06-2008

No he shouldnt be allowed to compete the cheating git.

Anyone convicted of doping in sport should get a permanent ban at ALL levels.

***Yorks*** · 30-06-2008

I don't think that he should go if it means taking the place of someone who has never taken drugs. Even if the person doesn't stand a chance of getting through the first round, they have earned the right to represent their country and deserve to experience the occasion.

Eddie (The eagle).

**Channel Hopper** · 01-07-2008

When he grows a nice pair of tits, (s)he can compete.

**rolfw** · 12-07-2008

Pees me off, just watching Sky news and this is all they are talking about, ignoring the other athletes running in the trials altogether.

What worries me more, is that he appears to be generally supported by the crowd, are we so desperate to get winners that we will support even drug cheats, just as long as they perform well?

**dig deep** · 12-07-2008

It´s too many today that been using drugs.

Perhaps time for a no-drug OG

and one for the mutants

***2cvbloke*** · 13-07-2008

All I can say is, who???

(I don't follow sports!!!)

**rolfw** · 13-07-2008

You don't have to follow sports to have heard the name, it's been all over the news over the past week.

***2cvbloke*** · 13-07-2008

Originally Posted by rolfw

You don't have to follow sports to have heard the name, it's been all over the news over the past week.

Ah, haven't seen the news much, all I know sport wise is a Manx guy won 2 stages of Le Tour de France....

But, looking at the vote, I think it's a 100% no against this Dwain Pipe...

**hoppo1** · 13-07-2008

This has all come about because the British Olympic Committee "thought" he had retired and so have not drug tested him for the past 2 years, those of his ban. So for 2 years he could have been "juicing" like there is no tomorrow and no one knows for sure.
Then after the 2 year ban he came back from a failed stint trying to play American football and wants to do athletics again.
Anyway enough of the background. Should he run for Britain? Morally probably not. Legally I can´t see a reason for him not being able to, as the BOC cocked it up not him.

My personal thoughts on it are that every person at the top of their sport is on drugs. If they weren´t they wouldn´t be there racing or throwing or whatever. Look a t Linford Christie. Went from skinny bloke to massive in a couple of seasons and started winning races. All the time speaking out against drugs, whilst topped up to the eyeballs with "enhancing" substances. Even then he didn´t win all the time, because the others were on better drugs probably.
I say make it honest, let them all take whatever they like under proper medical supervision. That way every one is on a level playing field (no pun intended) "the drugs are there, take what you like". Then everybody knows what they are up against.

I have trained in the gym with many athletes who were at the top of their game (i was not at the top of mine

) and all of them took something for "injuries" or "to pep me up". From regional on the cusp javelin throwers, to well known bobsleigh drivers

& ageing rugby players trying to eek out a bit more speed for one last season, they all took some type of banned "aid".

That´s my input. Let him run. At least we know that he´s "cheating".

**rolfw** · 13-07-2008

Don't think there was a mistake, he was banned from Olympic competition for life, so there was no likelyhood in their eyes that he would be trying for Olympic entry. I do agree however, that he has pulled a real fast one, as you say, he can quite possibly have been enhancing his body building performance over the two years of no testing and had he been honest, would have declared his intention to continue his career.

I'm afraid I don't want the Olympics to become a drug enhanced circus and would hope that other countries in the future will enforce life bans on drug cheats, I do not want to see him running in the colours of my country, in fact I'd rather we didn't submit a team if we have to rely on self serving cheats like him..

**hoppo1** · 13-07-2008

I'm afraid I don't want the Olympics to become a drug enhanced circus

It already is rolfw.

Athletes that get caught do so because they either don´t take the right masking agents or aren´t on the new designer drug that hasn´t yet got on the banned list.

**rolfw** · 13-07-2008

Yes, it may well be, but I am not prepared to hold up my hands and let them get on with it, as I hope neither are the British athletic bodies. So if they get caught, out they go and I would include non olympic competition lifetime bans as well, let them get a real job like the rest of us to earn a living.

**hoppo1** · 13-07-2008

I agree with you rolfw but the testing is always 1 step behind the cheat. People are prepared to risk it. It is a shame, but there it is.

***Yorks*** · 14-07-2008

Unfortunately like most 'sports', it has been ruined by money, and the urge to win at all costs. The financial gains in athletics outweigh the risks of being caught taking illegal substances.

As has been said, if an athlete wants to compete at the top on level terms, then he/she will need to use the same 'aids' as the rest.

But the point is - if they do get caught cheating, they know the score - and they should be banned.

Yorks

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