• London Olympics 2012

Radcliffe sympathy at Chambers' Olympic ban

Dwain Chambers continues to fight his lifetime Olympic ban © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Chambers does not deserve 2012 chance - Greene
  
• News: Radcliffe meets IAAF in fight to keep world record
  
• News: Chambers 'considering' Olympics ban appeal
  
• News: Adlington and Redgrave unhappy with CAS ruling
  
• News: Lifetime ban for drug cheats must remain - England
  
• News: Chambers' Olympic hope as Merritt wins appeal
  
• Profile: Paula Radcliffe

Paula Radcliffe has offered her support to Dwain Chambers, admitting his Olympic lifetime ban is unfair when other drugs cheats are allowed to compete.

The marathon world record holder, who has long campaigned against doping offenders, admitted the disparity between nations' approach to convicted drugs cheats was unjust.

Her comments come in the wake of Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt's successful appeal against his Olympic ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport - the "Osaka rule" in the Olympic Charter states that any athlete banned for more than six months for a doping offence is disqualified from competing at the next Olympics.

But Merritt, who was suspended for 21 months after testing positive for a banned steroid in early 2010, has seen the ban overturned, a ruling which has put pressure on the British Olympic Association to drop lifetime bans for convicted doping offenders.

While Radcliffe remains adamant that the BOA's stance of a lifetime ban for all drugs cheats would be preferable, she admits there should be equality among athletes.

"It does seem unfair to have people in this country [banned], as if they were in other countries they would have that right to compete in the Olympics," Radcliffe said.

"[Chambers] is one of the few who stuck his hands up and said, 'I did cheat and I'm sorry', and admitted it. A lot of people have done their time and never admitted it and they are allowed to come back and compete and that isn't fair. It has to be a proper rule.

"I would rather see every country take the BOA's rule on board but if not I think you have to have some sympathy for Dwain and the situation he is in. We need to be drug testing all the time to make it a level playing field. It needs to apply across the board. It needs to be fair."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.