Adebayor's started so well for Man City
Dwain Chambers - what do you think?
He says he's being treated like a "leper" in The Sun today.
Is that his own fault or the fault of all those people who condemn him for being included in the Great Britain team for the World Indoor Championships in Valencia next month?
Post your thoughts below or download the podcast to hear what others think
This shows that UK Athletics have no moral compass whatsoever, what about the young upcoming athletes denied to make room for a drug cheat? Short term gain is no remedy when we are supposed to be training an olympic team for 2012, Im disgusted....
if the athletic authorities do away with the first past the post gets automatically selected surely this problem wouldnt aride
Those who actually are lepers have not, in most cases, been given the choice to be in that condition. Chambers took a concious desicion to cheat to which he openly admits. I hope that in future life bans can be given to those who enhanced their performance in any sport by the use of drugs. If that punishment was implemented selectors would not be put in the invidious position they now find themselves.
Dwain is guilty of fraud. He has pawned his right to compete against honest atheletes because he could not accept that his body would not do what he wanted when he wanted. He was tempted and failed miserably. That will always be in his character, wont it ? When he next findas that he cant achieve what he wants when he wants, what 'shortcut' will tempt him next ?
Can he not see that the public will not be supportive ?
We have had athletes in the recent past who served their punishments for drug cheating competed again and even won medals surely. Let put him under more rigorous testing and all that but please let us rehabilitate him. Moreover, he has to live with a life punishment of having this dubiuos reputation on his character. That should be enough.
Victoria please press the point:
why, the furore now and not in 2006?
Thanks
Why oh why are the ´óÏó´«Ã½ wasting so much time this morning talking about this story. There are a lot more interesting items in the news than this one.
The long & short of it is that D Chambers has been cuaght and has been punished by UK Athletics - full stop, end of story. Having suffered his punishment, he is doing what, by the rules, he is fully entitled to do, and has returned to the sport.
He isn't doing aything wrong, but the ´óÏó´«Ã½ & the written media have deemed his story is worthy of being today's most popular news item, and like we have heard so often, this is now trial by the media
I have seen on this mornings breakfast news on ´óÏó´«Ã½1 TV & Radio 5 live, that, for some unexplained reason, this is the most important news item in th e world - what a waste of viewers & listeners time.
Why don't you concentrate on something more important!!!.
Sam Murphy
Hampshire
Dwain Chambers fiasco:
Cheating and forgiving too easily, is becoming too common in the UK today, From Mps's to Criminals to Societies cheats.
It doesn't help our young people who see this cheating as seeming to be part of normal Life.
Perhaps that's one reason many youngsters behave badly.
People like Dwain Chambers are in a high-profile public position and as such, he must be 'squeaky clean'.
Meanwhile the Sports Councils etc badly need to revise & unify their Rules - they are ridiculous...
Dwain Chambers fiasco:
Cheating and forgiving too easily, is becoming too common in the UK today, From Mps's to Criminals to Societies cheats.
It doesn't help our young people who see this cheating as seeming to be part of normal Life.
Perhaps that's one reason many youngsters behave badly.
People like Dwain Chambers are in a high-profile public position and as such, he must be 'squeaky clean'.
Meanwhile the Sports Councils etc badly need to revise & unify their Rules - they are ridiculous...
Lets get some perspective here shall we.
UK Athletics made the rules, not you not me not Dwain.
Yes he did something wrong and should be banned, he was.
Under the rules as written by UKA he has served his ban just like anyone else who breaks the rules and goes to prison ( they serve their time and come out with clean slate). So should he, under the rules as they are now.
If UKA are not happy then change the rules for the future
stop complaining now, you wrote them no one else !
Let him race, only because he has served his 'time'.
Steve
I don't condone any sports person taking banned drugs but he was banned from running for 2 years as per the rules of the athletics hierarchy and he is returning to running as is allowed by the same rules. So leave him alone and let him get on with what he is good at. If the rules are changed to ban athletes for life then all well and good and, hopefully it will encourage young up and coming athletes to stay clear of performance enhancing drugs.
I and my wife are going to the Norwich Union Indoor Athletics meeting in Birmingham on Saturday and sincerely hope that all participants and spectators(!) are drug free.
Thanks
Brian.
Irespective of whether you think Dwain is a cheat or not, the problem is that he was punished by UK altheltics and served his ban. Uk Athletics then selected him to run in the europeans in 2006.
Uk Atheletics now want to change the rules and exclude him again. The Principal here is about having clear rules that are consistently applied to ALL althletes. You can't bend the rules to suit.
If Dwain is banned, why can Carl Myerscough compete? NO CONSISTENCY!
I perfectly understand the desire for forgiveness and a second chance, but as expressed by many of the athletes (Roger Black / Kelly Holmes) I do not think it should apply in a sporting context.
If you need good justification consider the opportunity to compete in the team that he denied to all of those athletes he unfairly overtook. They will never have SECOND chance to compete or win at those events and they never will have.
if he'd received a life ban, then fine. but he didn't. you can't tell a convicted criminal that, once his time is served he can no longer go out and make a living? he cheated and served his punishment fair and square. yes, it does send out mixed messages but uk athletics can't just change the rules they made whenever they feel like it.
Mistakes are made and Dwain has admitted his error. It was a high publicity mistake but we all make wrong choices whether big or small. Society does not forgive and forget easily and this case is no different. He has served his ban and returned to the sport, what is their problem!!!!
The rules say he can do this so why are UK Athletics creating such a storm when thet make the rules. If Dwain is better than the rest after putting in such hard work then he deserves his place. We should be celebrating a reformed character, someone showing that he doesn't need drugs to be at the top of his sport rather than vilefying him for a past mistake.
Firstly the lack of true leadership from Athletics governing bodies at International and National level is the sole cause of the teeth gnashing going on about Mr Chambers.Secondly this should all have been dealt with prperlry by UK Athletics when he first returned from his ban,but wasn't and thirdly all drug cheats should be automatically band for life,2 years is no where near enough.
Having said all that I beleive the guy is entitled to run under current rules so he should.He is being picked on,what about all the other athletes who have returned from bans and been allowed to compete in this country and around the world in recent years ,they are legion.There is a lot of hypocrisy out there and people like Kelly Holmes have changed their tune to suit their media image.Grow up and move on,but put your house in order so it can't happen again and that means a worldwide agreement to ban all drug cheats not just British ones!
Firstly the lack of true leadership from Athletics governing bodies at International and National level is the sole cause of the teeth gnashing going on about Mr Chambers.Secondly this should all have been dealt with prperlry by UK Athletics when he first returned from his ban,but wasn't and thirdly all drug cheats should be automatically band for life,2 years is no where near enough.
Having said all that I beleive the guy is entitled to run under current rules so he should.He is being picked on,what about all the other athletes who have returned from bans and been allowed to compete in this country and around the world in recent years ,they are legion.There is a lot of hypocrisy out there and people like Kelly Holmes have changed their tune to suit their media image.Grow up and move on,but put your house in order so it can't happen again and that means a worldwide agreement to ban all drug cheats not just British ones!
The big problem with all of this is that it could have been avoided. If they had just banned him for three years then he would've been completely inelegible for the Olympics or any of the qualifying events and would have definitely missed it. The most annoying thing about all of this is that Dwain Chambers has taken no responsibility for his actions and shows no sense of remorse, (much the same way the Conways wonder why everyone hates what they did). He is despicable for not understanding why he now has 'leper status'. He has 'leper status' because he has disgraced the sport. He is right he does deserve the right to try to compete again but he needs to be sorry or at least be seen to be sorry because people generally don't forgive unless someone shows they're sorry. If he could just shut his mouth get on with it and accept silently whatever judgement is placed upon him.
Some will argue he's been punished enough already, which is ridiculous, Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months just for missing a test (admittedly there is ambiguity over his reasons) but for Chambers to get just 16 months more for actually taking drugs and admitting to it, is just obscene.
He should have been banned for life there are plenty of good athletes out there who don't take drugs and would be more than worthy of his place at the Olympics and every other athletics event.
There should be no place in any sport for people who use drugs. The reason is simple, they must be role models for younger people. But the authorites must be firm and fair. If Chambers is to be banned for life then so must the likes of Rio Ferdinand who got an 8 month ban and then returned to play for club and country. With Ferdinand, there was no outcry, no discussion, nothing. Just an acceptance that he had served his ban and could now return. Where is the consistency?
I believe in second chances but, and it is a big BUT, Dwain Chambers was extremely arrogant when he was interviewed after the race. Dwain Chambers and his lawyers have played the system and he does not seem to be sorry for what he has done. I feel very sorry for the young man who came second in the race at the weekend. Valerie Greig
You do the crime, you do the time, you move on.
If this was any other profession he would rightly so be given a second chance. Do we not believe in this in the UK?
And as for Kelly Holmes, all high and mighty, how hypocritical of her. She works with young people some, I'm sure have made mistakes in their past lives to encourage them into athletics.
Even Roger Black was a little supportive on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Breakfast this morning.
Let's leave Dwain’s past mistake where it should be, in the past and encourage him now he's clean.
Victoria,
I wouldn't ban Chambers for life, i would let him run wherever he could scrounge an invite, just make absolutely plain that he will never do so in an England Vest or Great Britain Vest no matter what times he runs.
I was incensed how many people were on your show today starting with " he made a mistake" no he didn't he made a choice, he chose to cheat and to let him run again for GB was a mistake last time and will be a calamitous mistake if they let him run again.
Brendas call was the most ridiculous of the lot Racial or unconcious racism how do you defend yourself against a charge of " unconcious racism " ?
As one of your callers said Chambers isn't a Black Cheat he's just a cheat.
The comparisons she made were just plain stupid .
"Wayne Rooney he behaves badly and no one critiscises him" Well they do but swearing at Refs and shenanigans off the pitch aren't going to enhance his performances are they.
Amy Winehouse , i don't think Brenda can be a regular listener Victoria if she thinks no one criticises Winehouse.Also her drug use is more likely to harm her career than to enhance it.
Toby Foster on Radio Sheffields breakfast show gave the best reaction to Chambers bleating about being made to feel like a leper " well i'm sure you can get some drugs for that Dwain"
Forgiving bunch, aren't you. He's done the crime and served his time.
Let's apply the same rules to businessmen, politicians, councillors who've cheated and carried on in their chosen professions after a period in the cold.
And what about pop-stars? It might be fair to say that the drugs they take are performance enhancing - why don't we treat them like lepers? No, why not give them grammys instead?
If he's honestly given up drugs and says he's now trying to promote a clean sport then good luck to him. Hell, that policy worked for Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness didn't it?
Dwain - wins clean and in then basically told "We don't want you..... but we can't stop you!"
OK Dwain has taken some tablets in the past that have allowed him to perform better - to train harder and longer. What about those athletes that have bodies fixed by surgeons to cure that niggling pull or the houldre put out, or the knock gained when playing Scunthorpe in the cup.
Mr Atherton could only continue in first class cricket with the help of pain killing injections in his back.
Where do we draw the line because at the moment our athletes would fail a drugs test by using a branded inhaler for a cold.
Technology will no doubt come up with a race of nano bots that will improve performance without drugs one day. Until then what about the archers and shooters who wear glasses and contacts - should they be banned from using these as an aid to performance?