Britain should introduce legislation before the 2012 Olympics that makes failing a drugs test a criminal offence, the head of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission told a group of MPs at the House of Commons yesterday.
Arne Ljungqvist told the science and technology committee, which is invest-igating human-enhancement technologies in sport, that such a law would place Britain at the head of the anti-doping movement. "I think it is of the utmost importance to have such a law in place in the host city of an Olympic Games," the Swedish professor said. "It sends a powerful message to an athlete that is of great benefit in the fight against doping."
Ljungqvist wants Britain to follow previous host cities - Athens in 2004 and Turin, who staged the Winter Olympics this year - and prosecute athletes who fail drugs tests. This month a Greek court gave a weightlifter, Leonidas Sabanis, a suspended six-month prison sentence for taking a banned substance for the Athens Games, which led to him being stripped of his bronze medal.
Currently it is an offence in Britain to possess performance-enhancing drugs only if they are not for your personal use. There have been discussions about a new law for nearly 20 years but it appears unlikely one will be passed before the Olympics are held in London.
"The UK is currently in favour of a non-legislative approach where sport continues to own the problem of drug misuse and where governments work together to support Wada [World Anti-doping Agency] in taking forward the fight against doping in sport," a Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said.
"We feel that it is sufficient punishment that an athlete is suspended from competing for several years or banned for life without resorting to proving a case under criminal law as some countries prefer. However, we are keeping a close eye on developments around the world. If there are lessons to learn from the approach of others we will consider these carefully."
