‘The Olympics should be a competition between great athletes not science labs’

January 26, 2012 - no comments

Giant Olympic Rings in St Pancras International StationLaura Lambert interviews BOA Chairman Lord Moynihan for Bristol University’s  Epigram:

2011 was a challenging year for the British Olympic Association (BOA) and its Chairman Lord Moynihan. A widely publicised debate regarding the operating surplus from the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 left Colin and his Chief Executive excluded from London 2012 board meetings from March until May.

More recently, debates between the BOA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (regarding the BOA by-law imposing lifetime bans on athletes who have intentionally used performance-enhancing drugs) have led to Colin once again making headlines. He launched a stinging attack on the Anti-Doping Agency saying that ‘the sanctions against the hard-line cheats have never been so weak since the end of the Cold War.’

 Why are you so passionate about fighting for the BOA by-law to stand (imposing lifetime bans on athletes who use performance enhancing drugs)?

First and foremost because the athletes want us to run a Selection Policy that ensures that the Games deliver competition between the world’s greatest clean athletes and not between chemists’ laboratories…

Full interview here.

About the author

Sports Editor. Leo is a MA International Political Communication graduate. He worked as a journalist for a year and now works in public affairs. He also blogs for Sky Sports.