British sprinter Dwain Chambers, the drug cheat who received a two-year ban in 2004 after testing positive for a banned steroid, will be free to run in the 2008 Olympic Games, after UK Athletics revealed that new categories of events are to be staged, specifically for drug-takers.
The Games, in Beijing, are to be the first where drugs are allowed, competitors having only to declare whether or not they are cheats, before being placed in the correct pool of athletes. The decision was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Zurich on Tuesday.
Chambers, 29, expects to be selected for both the 100m Drugs and the 4x100m Drugs relay, if three other drugs fiends can be identified in time. He is also being considered as Captain of the British Drugs team.
Roger Black, the great British 400m runner, who remained clean throughout his illustrious career, said:
"It's a great idea. Let all the cheats run together."
And Dame Kelly Holmes, who doesn't look bad once she's been touched-up by professional make-up artists, said:
"If drugs cheats were to be allowed to run with clean athletes, everyone would soon turn to banned substances. In no time at all, the track would resemble some of these Council estates. Clearly, that would send out the wrong message."
