Athletes, coaches and officials could be jailed if they lie about doping involvement
A proposal which would see Australian athletes jailed if they lied about having used performance enhancing drugs in the past moved a step closer towards formal implementation on Friday.
The measure, which would see those athletes required to truthfully sign a declaration about always having raced clean prior to being considered for Olympic selection, was approved by the Australian Olympic Committee in Melbourne on Friday.
The new ruling will become official once it has been examined by lawyers and given a green light. It is intended to be in place prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The ruling, which has been prompted in part by the Lance Armstrong/US Postal Service investigation which uncovered considerable evidence of a systematic doping programme, pertains to coaches and officials too.
However while athletes who have served suspensions may still be considered for selection, providing they are truthful about what happened in the past, any coaches and officials who were involved in doping matters at any point will be blocked.
It means that individuals such as former professionals Matt White and Stephen Hodge will play no further part in Australia’s Olympic campaigns.
Both retired riders were working for Cycling Australia, with Hodge being the vice-president and White the professional men’s road coordinator. He was also a directeur sportif with the GreenEdge team.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority seems supportive of the measure. “We are unaware of the specifics of the proposal,” a spokesperson told Fairfax, “[but] if it helps protect Australia's sporting integrity then it's a positive move in our view.”