You can run but you can't hide. Never has that saying been more true when you observe the media spectacle that has surrounded Dwain Chambers since he stormed back onto the UK athletics scene after a 2 year ban for taking the banned steroid THG. Dwain, a former European 100m champion, ran his first competitive race on February 10 and was victorious in the 60 metres at the World Indoor Trials and UK Championships. The vwin qualified him for a place in the World Indoor Athletics Championships. After the win the media went into overdrive and the brouhaha revolved around whether drugs cheats in sports should be allowed to return after a lengthy ban or whether they should be banned for life. The general consensus was that they should be banned for life. And there are calls for the rules to be changed by the leading lights in UK Athletics.
I don't agree. Chambers was introduced to the drug when he was training in America and was being advised by a 'nutrtionist' expert Victor Conte. Conte introduced him to THG telling him that it would help him with his nutrition. Chambers should have questioned it, all athletes are fully knowledgeable of the dangers of ingesting any unknown substance, and he was suspicious. But he went ahead. He was totally influenced by people he had trust in. He made a mistake. A huge, calamitous mistake. Who knows what was going on in his head to do such a thing? How could he risk his whole life, his vocation, his crareer, the only thing he had ever known? But he did.
I think you should allow everyone a second chance. He didn't kill anyone and even murderers dont get a life sentence. He cheated. People cheat. It is a fact of life. But he was punished, according to the rules and now he is back and being treated like a leper. The media is against him, his sporting colleagues and former friends are against him and the vast majority of the public are against him. I think that is a pretty horrible position to be in.
As it turns out the majority of the organisers of the top UK events have decided not to invite him to participate in their events. That is their choice and even without being banned it seems the powers that be can put him on a 'virtual' ban. I think they should try to show a little compassion - it is no mean feat to come back and win after 5 years out of the sport. If Chambers is prepared to clean up his act, stay drugs free and try to excel in the only thing he knows how to do well then he should be entitled to some support.
I fundamentally disagree. Athletics (and specifically track events) is almost unique in the fact that the athletes body is their whole sport, there are no other skills required other than how far they can hone and train their bodies. To cheat by artificially enhancing your body (and Dwain has admitted he knew what he was doing) is such a complete level of cheating that I don't think he should ever be allowed to compete again. It is totally unfair to the hard working, self sacrificing genuine athletes who acheived performances through dedication. It also undermines the whole sport of athletics in so much as the public lose faith in any 'winner' or 'record breaker'. He also profited financially whilst he was artificially enhanced setting a bad example by anyones standards to youngsters looking at athletics as a career. This is not like 'diving' at football or kicking your ball out of the rough at golf. This is complete and utter cheating to the highest degree. So although I feel personally sorry for him that he made such a mistake (and he obviously regrets it). I cannot agree that he should be allowed to compete in athletics ever again.
Posted by: Simon Childs | February 15, 2008 at 08:54 PM