BOA urged to get back in step with doping fight

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) warned the British Olympic Association (BOA) to get back in step with the rest of the world on Tuesday after its appeal over a lifetime Olympic ban for drug cheats was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The CAS announced on Monday that the BOA's lifetime sanction did not comply with WADA's global code, which provides for a two-year suspension for first-time offenders.

The BOA, however, has yet to revoke the lifetime ban, something it must do in order to comply with WADA's code and to compete in the London Olympic Games in July and August.

"Now that the decision of the court is to reject the appeal the BOA is still non-compliant and they have to take steps to revise that by revoking their rule," WADA director general David Howman told reporters during a conference call.

"They have an opportunity to do that but I haven't heard from (BOA chairman) Lord (Colin) Moynihan nor anyone from the British Olympic Committee saying they would get on with that."

Howman said the British association had until May 18 to comply or be reported to the IOC for possible sanctions.

"We have a Foundation Board meeting on May 18 and they've got time to be able to do it and report to us so the board can report them to be compliant. That is an important step that needs to be taken.

"If we have not heard from them (by May 18) and their law has not been changed, then their position of being non-compliant would be maintained," said Howman. "We would report to the IOC accordingly."

The CAS decision cleared the way for sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar, who have both served bans for doping, to be considered for selection to Britain's Olympic team.

The decision has done little to quiet the verbal skirmishes between WADA and the BOA.

Following the CAS ruling, the BOA labeled it a "hollow victory" for WADA while Howman hit back claiming the BOA was out of touch and wasted a lot of time and money taking the case to the Lausanne court.

"At the end of the day they (BOA) wasted a lot of time, a lot of money and got the inevitable result," said Howman. "He (Moynihan) has expressed views which have hardly had any touch with the real facts or situation with anti-doping and we have responded to that and I don't think a slagging match is at all professional and I don't intend to get into that.

Moral ground

"If you think that the high moral ground is operated by a body who is going against the wishes of the rest of the world than that high moral ground must be at a pretty low level and I would suggest when you are a member of an international fraternity that you obey the rules the international fraternity has set out.

"If you want to challenge them, have a crack at them but if you lose than you get on with accepting them."

Despite the ruling, the case has exposed an appetite in some quarters for harsher sanctions for drug cheats.

Howman pointed out that WADA already has rules in place that allow for four-year bans for some first time offenders but are rarely used because such punitive sanctions are difficult to enforce.

The WADA Code has already undergone one review and the anti-doping agency is currently undertaking another. Howman warned that any sanctions must be able to withstand challenges in court.

"As we go forward we've got to maintain a gentle touch with reality and reality is whatever rules are put in place must be able to sustain a challenge in international law and the appropriate courts, including courts of human rights," he explained. "For a first offence, (a four-year ban) totally impossible.

"When you look at lifetime bans they are already in the Code for second, or maybe third offences but for a first offense I would say there would not be one human right lawyer or sport lawyer in the world who would ever suggest that."