Dwain Chambers: Honest about drugs - As the BOA court case looms, will Chambers get his last hurrah in London?

Chambers in his return to the sport in the 2006 European Championships

A make or break month for Great Britain’s Dwain Chambers began last weekend at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul where the 33 year old Islington born sprinter claimed bronze in the men’s 60m. Chambers went into the competition as defending champion, but was well beaten by Justin Gatlin of the US, who stormed home in 6.46 seconds. Seb Coe remarked that the final was like watching the ‘Rehabilitation of offenders’. Perhaps for Gatlin, but an odd sentiment referring to Chambers in that his own offences date back nearly a decade. Since his return to the sport, the Briton has won 8 major Championship Medals, all of Gold and Silver bar this weekend; for him, Saturday was hardly redemption, nor image defining. For a man who has absorbed such a ferocious media barrage since 2003, Chambers has shown immense humility in both public persona and his work in educating schools and colleges, steering the next generation away from the fateful path which marred his otherwise exceptional career. In light of this, public opinion towards Chambers is positively growing, with an increasing tide of voices believing that his treatment by the UK media has been disproportionately unfair to say the least.

In stark polarity, Justin Gatlin returned home to a hero’s welcome this week just two years after his own ban, stepping off the plane to the patriotic adoration of the American press; no mention of the drug cheat who’s Olympic gold from Athens still hangs on the wall of his Florida home. Of course Gatlin never admitted to knowingly taking any performance enhancing substances. With no straws left to clutch, he pointed the finger at his massage therapist Chris Whetstine, whom he suggests must have rubbed testosterone laced cream into his skin on the fateful day of his positive test. As baffling as it is that attempts are made to construe a positive drugs test in any other way than for what it is, it is further baffling that such a result does not trigger an automatic confession from the accused, if only to clear their conscience, allow rehabilitation and potentially reduce their sentence. In the world of athletics however, Dwain Chambers is the flagship reminder that confessions and apologies do nothing to reduce ones sentence. In his case, his confession proved to do nothing but extend his sentence.

    So why is it then, when presented with these two individuals, can one be eligible to run at the London Olympics, but the other not? On one hand, there is Dwain Chambers - a man who served his sentence by 2006, showed remorse in its entirety for his actions and did all in his power to assist those authorities in helping educate future generations to the dangers of replicating his mistakes. One the other, there is Justin Gatlin - a man who was found guilty, but by never admitting his wrongdoing he deprived WADA the opportunity of backdating his offences. As a result of this, he keeps both his personal best of 9.85, every penny of prize money he won up until the day of his positive test, and the gold medals from both the Olympics in 2004 and the World Championships the following year. Of these two, as it stands, Justin Gatlin is eligible to compete at the London Olympics should he qualify, yet Dwain Chambers is not.

Globally, there are 204 National Olympic Committees, each in charge of their own jurisdiction or country for selecting individuals to represent them in Olympic competition. Each body sets its own rules for eligibility and indeed for Olympic selection. Standard procedure in Britain for the last two decades has been simple, major drug offences can carry sentences anywhere up to 2 years. Included in this is the stipulation, or bye law, that the athlete will never again represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games. The BOA introduced this ruling in 1992; it was not the only country that put this in place. However, as time progressed, many argued on moral grounds that although the Olympic ethos encompasses fair play and an even playing field, it also promotes rehabilitation and redemption. Over the two decades since its initiation, more and more National Olympic Committees’s have dropped this stipulation; in 2011 the remaining pockets of resistance, including Canada, New Zealand and Denmark, abolished the outdated ban, leaving Britain as the sole representative of its cause.

As of this moment, 203 of them are in agreement, whilst Great Britain, in true stiff upper lip fashion, has refused to budge. Lord Colin Moynihan’s arguments as to why the BOA are so staunch in their defence seem to have very little empirical grounding, lots of rhetoric and imaginary figures of ‘athlete support’, but athlete support for what exactly? A strong stance against drugs? Yes, says Siza Agha, they probably are in favour, but thats not the question that is being asked here. I met with Agha, Chambers Barrister and agent a few weeks ago: ‘The BOA is acting unlawfully - they have covered themselves in a cloak of righteousness upon what I understand is a completely false premise. I would like to know how dated their statistics are what question was asked of their athletes. If the question was ‘Do you think there should be a tough stance taken against drugs in sport’, then I would expect 100% affirmation which would include Dwain. If the question was ‘Whether in light of the fact that the BOA are the only organisation that is supporting a life ban, and that every anti-doping agency in the world is opposing the BOA because they believe the policy is counterproductive in the fight against drugs in sport, as well as the fact that there will be hoards of sanctioned athletes from every other country at 2012, should the BOA maintain their current position? – I anticipate that like the Emperor’s new clothes, the BOA’s current cloak will be exposed for what it really is.’

Letting go of the past: After a fractious end to the Europeans in which Campbell (far left) refused to accompany Chambers on a victory lap following their victory in the 4x100m. The two are now back on talking terms.

 It seems the BOA’s argument has lost its focus somewhat; in the public eye it has been angled as the case which decides whether Dwain Chambers runs at the Olympic Games - this is short sighted and it has only garnered such attention because if we’re being completely honest, he is the one man who could sneak a medal in the men’s 100m. Had he not false started in last year’s World Championship semi-final, the 10.14 he ran in the previous heat, comfortably within his capibilities, would have secured him a bronze medal. Of course, for fans of the sport, and for fans of Chambers, this is an important issue, but a side issue nonetheless. Agha believes that it has gone far beyond whether Dwain should or should not compete and is more about Britain failing to adopt advice from the world’s leading Anti-doping authority: ‘As hosts of the games, the BOA should firstly draw on the advice and expertise of those responsible for the fight against drugs in sport, and secondly, apply their minds to the reason every other jurisdiction (recently Canada, New Zealand and Denmark) have amended their rules to comply with WADA and the CAS decision’. Agha, who fought Chamber’s first unsuccessful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for sport in 2008, stated ‘Having read a line of CAS law, for me the CAS decision was not only correct in law but also predictable. The same applies to the BOA bye-law. What I find most disappointing is that the BOA are not viewing the decision as an opportunity to promote tougher sanctions when the code is reviewed.’ 

In discussing this, Agha referred to the US sanctions currently in place, Justin Gatlin served a 4 year sentence but is now free to compete at the Olympics in a logical approach to punishing offenders more seriously and offering them the chance, should they wish, to redeem themselves both on the track and in the public eye. ‘If they (the BOA) had adopted a more considered course then their views would have been respected and given great weight in such future debate. However, the BOA’s conduct and course over this matter has, in my view, undermined their and indeed the ministers credibility on this topic. The overwhelming majority of worldwide opinion, including I understand the IOC, is that the BOA are simply wrong in their present position. This issue is not about whether an athlete should or should not compete. It is about a worldwide code that has been adopted by every jurisdiction, the harmonisation and adoption of a universal set of rules on drugs in sport. The BOA are undermining the code - the agreement they themselves entered into, as well as the opinions of every other jurisdiction. As a professional I am astonished by the position taken.’

The debate was sparked last year when Lashawn Merritt, defending Olympic 400m Champion overturned his Olympic ban for failing a drugs test by challenging the IOC on Rule 45, which Merritt said represented double jeopardy. His argument was backed by a number of anti-doping agencies including the US Anti-Doping Agency and their counterparts in the UK, Denmark, Norway, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. There is a strong feeling in the anti-doping community, epitomised none more so than in Chambers’ case, that the IOC ban deters potential whistle blowers and provides a disincentive for athletes to tell the truth about doping.

Agha’s closing comments present an interesting argument, one that bears weight on both legal and moral grounds:

'As a Barrister my opinion of the Bye Law was formed 2 years ago when I first started working with Dwain. We have been working hard with charity, school and colleges to show that Dwain has a very positive and powerful message that in my view out to be embraced rather than marginalized. There is, in my opinion, no room in a modern democratic society for a draconian policy that in principle is the antithesis of redemption and rehabilitation. Essentially the bye-law represents the notion that if you do something wrong, despite acceptance of guilt, providing assistance to those in authority and doing positive work in the community, you will never be forgiven. Conceptually in my view, this runs against core values, modern thinking and it is certainly not the message that I give to my children.' 

Is it time for the BOA to modernize its principles and adapt to the changing environment of global sport? Will upholding its current stance benefit the Olympic Games in light of the fact that all athletes who have served a ban under every other Olympic jurisdiction can now compete freely at London 2012? Stopping Chambers competing certainly won't change that. And of all the athletes who have committed a doping offence, none have shown more remorse, dignity and courage in admitting their wrongdoings, few have come anywhere near garnering the respect that Dwain Chambers has among fellow athletes and fans alike. 2012 is the year to put to bed a chapter that has gone on far too long - It is time to let Dwain Chambers finish his career where he started it, so he may walk away from the sport he loves with the dignity he's earned back from his colleagues, his fans and his sport. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, Dwain has shown us that honesty really is the best policy, London 2012 is our opportunity to show him that forgiveness isn't a bad one either. 

You can follow the progress of the court case this month on BBC at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/2012/

My thanks to Dwain Chambers and to Siza Agha for meeting me in preparation for this article.

Twitter @ChrisLloyd2012

Like Father, Like Son: Max Stewart on his Olympic Journey

Olympic hopeful talks this summer’s games, his plans 

for the future, and living up to the success of his father. 

'Coach and athlete on the mat, father and son off the mat' - Max Stewart (right) with dad Dennis

Seoul, South Korea, 1988. An Olympic Games that would define the sporting career of Great Britain’s Dennis Stewart. As the 28 year old Dudley born lad stepped onto the mat for what was to be the pinnacle of his Judo career, Stewart fought and won Olympic bronze for his country. Success enough for some it would seem, this was just the beginning of the Stewart sporting legacy. Some 7 years later, Dennis became the proud father of baby boy Max, and a near quarter century after his own Olympic success, watched his son win his first major championship medal as he took home Silver at the European Junior Judo Championships last year.

The saying ‘Like father, like son’ rings no truer than when watching these two together. Playfully wrestling on the mat in what appears a routine training scuffle, I ask Dennis whether he’d let Max throw him to the mat for a photo. ‘No chance you’re getting that on camera, not for a few years yet’ he laughed. It seems true in many walks of life that the next generation, inspired by the legacy and success of their elders, often tread a similar path to the footprints left by their fathers. It would seem here that young Max has taken the first steps of his own Olympic journey, both inspired and led by his Dad’s wisdom and success. This hereditary influence has been true since the early days of man and its modern form is easily traceable in the world of sport; Many of the great British father-son legacies – Footballs Brian and Nigel Clough, Formula one’s Graham and Damon Hill and crickets Chris and Stuart Broad provide continual evidence of hereditary sporting greatness.

Last month, What Culture caught up with the father son duo at the annual C2 International Judo camp; an organisation which brings together the best junior Judo talent from all corners of the globe. Widely considered to be the best camp of its type in the world, this was its third annual meeting in as many years. Among the head coaches were Moscow Olympian Chris Bowles and double Commonwealth Champion Carl Finney. I spotted Max Stewart among a sociable crowd of a hundred or so athletes, coaches and parents. He seems an extremely popular young man amongst his peers, carrying a likeability factor which will pay dividends in his later career. Stewart was play fighting with a younger lad when I arrived, almost big brother-esque around his younger cohort. There are many similarities between father and son, both had a smile and a greeting for everyone couple with a relaxed, sociable manner on and off the mat. For Max, there are no signs of his reputation getting ahead of him.

Countries from all corners of the globe brought their best Judoka for the 4 day event

Commenting on his European Silver in Brussels, the young lad from Birmingham said ‘Even though I was disappointed not to win the gold, It was great to get a Silver medal. I’ve studied the guy who beat me in the final, so next time I should beat him’. The 18 year old impressed in the preliminaries in the Belgian capital last year and was competition favourite going into the final. His Dad remarked ‘There are so many different styles in Judo which vary from country to country. When you lose to an international opponent, it can happen so quickly that you don’t get a chance to learn from it. That’s why this camp is so good, the British juniors get to practice against some great international opponents and learn from their mistakes again and again’.

Also present at the camp was Ashley McKenzie, one of the subjects for the ongoing BBC documentary ‘Olympic Dreams’. McKenzie told me that he’d just flown back from a competition in Tokyo. ‘It went badly. I felt so tired’ said the 21 year old Londoner. ‘It’s difficult fighting off a long flight and with only two days to adjust. I’d rather go over and adjust over a week or so to the time difference, or get straight off the plane, fight within 12 hours, and go straight home, but we got caught somewhere in the middle, so jetlag hit me and my body felt shattered.’ When asked whether that sort of experience made him relish the home advantage in London this year, he replied ‘Definitely, we’re used to the weather, we haven’t got to go anywhere, haven’t got to adjust to the time difference and all these things mean we can focus solely on the task at hand; other countries have got to take these things into account, and that might just be the difference between winning and losing a medal’.

Speaking to GB head Coach Chris Bowles on similar matters later that day, he reflected on his own Olympic experiences. When asked what it would take for the many squad members who had fought at international level to prepare for the games, Bowles’ reply was ‘Forget everything you think you know, because nothing quite prepares you for what it takes to reach the Olympic Games. It’s the loss of privileges, the loss of every day norms, the blood, sweat and tears. Train as hard as you possibly can, and when you think you’ve done enough, train some more, you might just get there. It is an experience you can never replicate. Many try, but few actually make it.’ Resounding advice from the Moscow Olympian, words that Bowles hopes will feed their way through the team and reach those who really desire Olympic success this year.   

But what of Max’s Stewart’s plans for 2012? Speaking realistically about his chances of Olympic qualification, the young man appears under no pressure to compete in London if he’s not ready. ‘There’s a big jump between the junior and senior rankings, and being 18 there’s a lot of big strength differences I need to adjust to, so the best thing I can do right now  is compete in lower level senior tournaments and build my way up over the next few months’. Realising that his overall development could take time and patience, Stewart seems unphased by the impending rush to improve in time for a home Olympics this summer. After all, his father didn’t capture Olympic bronze in Korea until the ripe old age of 28; Spring chicken Max shows maturity beyond his years in realising that patience could be the making of his long term career. ‘When the time’s right I’ll go to an Olympics, if it’s this year, so be it, my aim would be to qualify and get a medal, but we’ll just see what happens.’ But that’s not to say he’s hanging around, far from it; Stewart currently holds the title of British number 1 and world number 5 in the Junior Under 73KG rankings; His success thus far stands firmly in its own right. However, viewed alongside his father’s pedigree in the sport, it begs the question of just how far young Max can go.

Dennis Stewart (Right) was a Bronze medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

‘People are always saying that I have to do better than my Dad, but I don’t see it as pressure, it’s just good fun, trying to win competitions that he’s won previously and things like that’. There can be no argument that the two share a fantastic father son connection and there is a bond present that no coach, however experienced, could forge with an athlete who was not his own flesh and blood. ‘My Dad’s a great role model, a great coach’ Max remarked,  ‘I’m always with him, so we have a lot of time to talk tactics; When we’re on the mat he’s my coach, when we’re off it he’s my Dad’.

It is clear to see that this young man will grow into an already broad physique, naturally increasing in size and strength by the time he is out of his teens. Add to this the skills, senior experience and the best mentor he could wish for, Max Stewart will be good in London, and formidable in Rio. Could he repeat the success of his father? Absolutely. He could even go two better.

You can follow Max Stewart and all of the GB Judo team in the lead up to 2012 on Twitter @BritishJudo

Follow Ashley McKenzie @Ashleymckenzi12

The BBC Documentary series 'Olympic dreams' is available on Iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d4df5

2012: Remembering the Past to Shape the Future

There are only 191 days left until London takes centre stage. (Photo courtesy of  Mr David Goss)

London, July 6^th 2005. Not 12 months since the double dose of Dame Kelly’s golden heroics over the middle distance, Mark Lewis Francis’ desperate dip to quash 4 of the largest and fastest ego’s on the planet, and the photo finish that iced the cake of Golden Saturday for Matthew Pinsent and the coxless 4. For Britain, 30 medals and the beginning of an Olympic legacy that teetered on a knife edge just a year later, as millions around the world waited with silent expectancy for the decision of the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. The announcement muted the crowds in Moscow, Madrid, New York and Paris, whilst setting alight a jam packed Trafalgar Square for the most jubilant scenes witnessed in the capital since midnight on the Millennium. For It was London who would host the 30^th Olympiad, and boy were the French annoyed. Jacques Chiraq voiced his immediate disapproval that the Games had been awarded to a country with such terrible food and who's only contribution to Europe was mad cow disease. Best not to mention livestock or poor cuisine when grazing on horse thighs marinated in the bitter sauce of contempt, eh Jacques? 

English-French relations have not so much drifted but rather nose dived into the abyss ever since; giving us more hostile table service in Paris and Jeremy Clarkson enough material for yet another 5 books about what really annoys him. For London however, the first seeds planted by our Olympic heroes way back in 2005, on and off the track, are beginning to flourish. Every volunteer, torch bearer, construction worker, cameraman, dinner lady, bus driver, mother, father, brother and sister are beginning to see the fruits of a nationwide effort culminating in less than 200 days from today. For it is this collective that has allowed a stage to be set for the brightest stars in sport to shine. 

To look back at an Olympic games is to remember the once in a lifetime performances from the world’s foremost sporting personalities. It is the stories behind these personalities, the drama’s and ultimately the legacies that we come to witness with each Olympics that pass, that help the Olympiad to grow in stature every fourth year. Be it the Christie, Redgrave and Johnson of the 90’s or the Freeman, Holmes and Bolt of the last decade – each performance characterizes the ethos of the Olympic spirit, fuelling our hopes and expectations that once again such memories will be created in London. 

Over the next few months, I will be meeting Britain's top athletes from across the country on their quests for Olympic glory; recording their thoughts, stories and journeys as they progress towards their ultimate life goal at the London Olympic Games.

There are only 191 days until these memories begin; follow me on the road to 2012.   

Twitter: @ChrisLloydTV