• London Olympics 2012

Sotherton wants lifetime ban for drugs cheats

Former Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton believes the vast majority of athletes support the British Olympic Association's lifetime ban for drugs cheats.

The Olympic future of the likes of Dwain Chambers and David Millar remains in the balance as the BOA has vowed to defend its selection policy, which prevents convicted drugs cheats from competing for Team GB.

The likes of Sir Chris Hoy, and Bradley Wiggins have lent their backing to the BOA, while Jessica Ennis has called for consistency between nations.

Sotherton was promoted to fourth in the heptathlon at the 2008 Beijing Games after Lyudmila Blonska was stripped of her silver medal after testing positive for the anabolic steroid methyltestosterone.

Blonska was handed a lifetime ban in light of it being her second doping offence, and Sotherton believes it is a perfect case in point of why convicted drugs cheats should not be allowed the chance to compete in the Olympics.

"I totally support the BOA bylaw," Sotherton told ESPN. "I have been in a situation in the Olympics when Lyudmila Blonska failed her drugs test after she had placed second, meaning I went from fifth to fourth. I think if she hadn't been there the outcome could have been different for a lot of people.

"You can go and compete in a Grand Prix, earn the money, but you should not be able to go to the Olympics. That should be the first thing, Olympic Games: you're out, sorry you have cheated once, we can't trust you again.

"You might be a reformed character and you might tell the world what you shouldn't do and how you shouldn't do it and you shouldn't get mixed up, but you should pay a penalty and the penalty should be the Olympics."

Sotherton urged her fellow athletes to support the BOA, who could be forced to drop their selection policy if the Court of Arbitration for Sport finds its stance to be non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.

"I know not everyone does [support the BOA bylaw], but I think the majority of the athletes do and I think it's important that we back it," Sotherton said.

"I know some people want to stay clear of it because it's a controversial subject because there are people in our sport who have taken drugs, but they paid a price; they may have paid a price by having a two-year ban, but they are back in the sport and they shouldn't go to the Olympics."

Read Kelly Sotherton's exclusive Olympic column at ESPN.co.uk

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