Boa To Get Tough On Missed Drugs Tests

The British Olympic Association has warned all athletes that appeals against punishment meted out for missed drugs tests will be harder to prove in the future.

The BOA statement comes after world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu successfully appealed against her ban becoming the third British athlete to do so.

Problems with the testing system and athlete education issues were cited as mitigating circumstances but the BOA has now stated that such reasons are becoming less valid as defence against a ban.

The BOA statement read: ‘The panel observed that it becomes increasingly difficult for athletes to rely upon teething problems within the testing system and lack of education in the same way that Ohuruogu and other successful appellants have done.

‘In future, athletes might well need to brace themselves for the serious possibility of rejection of their appeals and lifetime ineligibility for the Olympic Games.’

The BOA has a by-law which hands out an automatic lifetime Olympics ban to any athlete who misses three out-of-competition drugs tests.