• London Olympics 2012

Chambers' agent relieved after CAS rejects BOA appeal

Dwain Chambers' agent has claimed the sprinter has been the most punished athlete in the history of sport, on the day the European Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the rule banning him from competing at London 2012.

Chambers is free to compete in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, after CAS rejected the British Olympic Association's appeal against a World Anti-Doping Agency challenge of a domestic by-law that hands any Team GB athlete found guilty of a drugs offence a life-time Olympic ban.

Chambers, along with cyclist David Millar, will now be able to compete in this summer's Olympics, after the CAS panel agreed with WADA that the BOA by-law - which has existed for 20 years - effectively imposed a second sanction on athletes involved, overlapping with the WADA code established to deal with such issues.

The BOA had argued that the by-law was simply a selection policy, but the CAS panel rejected that interpretation.

"The panel concludes that the by-law is a doping sanction and is therefore not in compliance with the WADA Code," the CAS award read. "It confirms the view of the WADA Foundation Board as indicated in its decision.

"Therefore, the appeal of BOA is rejected, and the decision of the WADA Foundation Board is confirmed."

While stressing that the BOA will comply with the ruling, chairman Lord Moynihan expressed his disappointment at the saga.

"The BOA are clearly very disappointed in the outcome. This will be seen as a hollow victory for WADA," Lord Moynihan said. "We must now move the discussion forward. We will seek far-reaching reform, calling for tougher and more realistic sanctions; a minimum of four years including one Games."

In the meantime Chambers' agent, Siza Agha, believes the news is overdue for the the 34-year-old, who has struggled to compete at high-profile events around the world for a number of years due to his pariah status.

"Dwain was banned for two years nearly a decade ago. It is common knowledge that he had to pay back prize money - the only athlete to do so - to the IAAF. He is the only high-profile athlete not to compete in the Diamond League," Agha told the Telegraph.

"Gatlin is preparing for his first of many outings next week in Doha after returning from a four-year ban for his second offence less than two years ago. Dwain has already missed two Olympics."

He added: "This issue for me is not about medals. It's about the basic treatment of a human being. In my view, the enemy of any democracy is the inability to forgive.

"When one considers the way Dwain has been treated, humility and compassion demand that it is long past the time to forgive Dwain and long overdue to support him."

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