Hoy wants BOA drugs ban to remain

Sir Chris Hoy says the fight to keep sport clean could take a backwards step if the lifetime Olympic ban imposed on British drugs cheats is overturned.

British Olympic chiefs expect to lose their legal battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over the ban.

And that would allow the likes of sprinter Dwain Chambers, banned for two years in 2004, to compete in London.

"It will be sad if we have to fall in line with the rest of the world," said four-time Olympic champion Hoy.

Speaking at an event to promote national schools sports week, he added: "I don't see anything wrong with having more stringent rules. I think it should be the rest of the world that's falling in line with our rules.

The advice from experts and lawyers was the by-law went too far and would be interpreted by Cas as an additional sanction over and above what the Wada code says. A lot of people have been saying for a long time that the BOA is going to lose, and perhaps the penny is beginning to drop. The BOA were out on a limb with this, but the bigger point was they felt they should have the right to decide who competes for Britain.

"If you are caught for taking drugs, then you will not be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. That to me is a good incentive not to take drugs.

"If you take that away, are you taking a step back in the fight against drugs?"

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is locked in a legal battle with Wada over the right to continue imposing lifetime Olympic bans on British athletes who have served suspensions for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) is expected to rule next week.

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Hoy wants BOA drugs ban to remain