Agreed.I can understand how the protestors feel to be truthful but what they are doing is a disgrace.The olympics should be a world wide supported event and China will no doubt be an amazing host for it, sadly many people just want to take it as a way to show their stupid political views and ruining it for many people.Im not quite sure whats happening with the tibetan situation but it seems quite the mess right now.

less than a month until the olympics now.

Whats folks thought on Chambers being in the squad or not??  I reckon he should be allowed to compete.  He is our best sprinter.  So what if he took some drugs in the past, he's done his punishment so why can't they just get on with it.

Regarding Chambers, he's served a 2 year ban. Let him run. If footballers can still play international football within a year of a failed dope test, why should athletes be treated worse? I think the ban should be blanket lifetime ban but its not and you cant treat one sport worse than another.

everyone deserves a second chance braxious,he made a foolish mistake,but i doubt hell make that mistake again.I am a fan of Dwayne as i enjoy atheltics a lot and i think he deserves a chance at bejing for us.Plus there are no doubt several other athletes who took drugs to and who no doubt have been given a second chance in their careers.

fair enough ^_^.I guess i always believe in a second chance for everything,in sports and in normal life to.He made a mistake, was punished and he seems to have learnt his lesson but with sport, i think its hard to forgive someone who does take performance enhancing drugs to raise their game.I guess we will have to wait and see what will happen.

I think he should be allowed to compete, afterall Christine Ohuruogu is allowed to compete and she was done for drug offences.  Ok it was only for missing the drug tests but there is nothing to say she didn't take drugs.  Plus that carried a lifetime olympic ban, yet no ex-athletes come out and say she shouldn't be allowed to compete.

I think your being a little harsh braxious ^-^,though of course its understandable but again,if hes man enough to own up to his mistakes, and works hard to clear his name in the proper way,i think he should get one last chance.However if he screws up again then he does deserve a life time ban.Maybe he shouldnt be allowed to compete for us at bejing but i think he should still be allowed to compete in athletics after the games.

MUTE POINT NOW
Chambers loses Olympic ban case

Chambers may have to consider his future in the sport
British sprinter Dwain Chambers will not be able to run at the Olympics after he lost his attempt to overturn his lifetime ban.

The 30-year-old took his case to secure an injunction against the British Olympic Association by-law to the High Court, but the ruling went against him.

Under BOA rules, the sprinter was banned from future Games after testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003.

Chambers had argued that the ban was an unfair restraint of trade.

But Mr Justice Mackay refused to grant an injunction to temporarily suspend the lifetime ban before a full hearing - which is now not expected to go ahead - in March next year.

In his summing up, Mr Mackay said Chambers' right to work was not a good enough reason to overturn the ban, while the last-minute timing had also worked against him.

The BOA will continue to send a powerful message that nobody found guilty of serious drug-cheating offences should have the honour of wearing GB vests at the Olympics

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan
"Many people both inside and outside sport would see this by-law as unlawful," said Mr Mackay.

"(But) In my judgment it would take a much better case than the claimant has presented to persuade me to overturn the status quo at this stage and compel his selection for the Games."

Chambers still has the right of appeal - although it would have to be heard before the end of play on Friday - but the option is looking increasingly unlikely after the judge's ruling left him with little room for manoeuvre.

British selectors have to name their final squad for next month's Games in Beijing by Sunday at the very latest.

Chambers had already gained the necessary qualifying time for the 100m and comfortably won the British trials in a time of 10.00 seconds on Saturday.

But when the British team was named on Monday, only Simeon Williamson - who finished second behind Chambers in the trials - was named for the individual 100m event, with two places left unfilled until the legal case had been decided.



Chambers exits High Court
Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar have also secured times within the Olympic qualifying mark of 10.21, and UK Athletics (UKA) selectors will meet on Saturday to decide who to take to Beijing before seeking ratification from the BOA.

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan said the judge's decision had vindicated the long-standing by-law.

"It's a matter of regret that Dwain Chambers, an athlete of such undoubted talent, should by his own actions have put himself out of the running to shine on the Olympic stage in Beijing," said Moynihan

"The BOA will continue to send a powerful message that nobody found guilty of serious drug-cheating offences should have the honour of wearing GB vests at the Olympic Games.

"The court's decision allows us now to focus on, and support, those athletes who will be travelling to Beijing to represent Team GB in just 21 days' time. We must now focus on their interests."

Chambers, pursued by scores of journalists, TV cameramen and photographers, left court saying almost nothing to the media.

Meanwhile, UKA said it fully supported the decision.

After his positive test in 2003, Chambers admitted he had taken other banned substances to enhance his performance and also revealed to the BBC that he had started taking THG 18 months before he was eventually caught.

The revelation led to him being stripped of the 100m gold medal he won at the European Championship in 2002 and also cost him and his team-mates the gold they had won in the 4x100m relay.



BOA pledge to continue drug-cheat ban
While serving a two-year ban from the sport, he attempted to forge a career in American football and earlier this year tried his hand at rugby league with Super League side Castleford.

But he did win silver for Britain in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in March.

Michele Verroken, the former head of anti-doping and ethics at UK Sport, said other countries should follow Britain's lead by taking a strong stance against former drug cheats at the Olympics.

"I would urge other nations around the world to consider the same eligibility by-law because it's a very important way of protecting the integrity of the Olympics, " she told the BBC.

"There is far more cheating that is surreptitious and deceptive which is corrupting sport, so it's important we sent the clear message that those who compete without the use of drugs get the privilege to compete in the Olympics."

Cant believe its been 4 years since the athens olympics,i remember waking up and enjoying the events every morning espicially badmington and our talented duo against the chinese being one of my fondest moments of that olympics.I doubt we will get to many golds this time around but you never know! Can see the USA,Russia,China and Australlia dominating a lot of events.

there is a possibility that when the world cup goes to south africa if there is a problem it will come to the england casue we have the facilities.

Judging by the events held at the weekend I'm not expecting anything special from team GB.

More to the point. You must of not enjoyed any olympics of recent times if British success all that makes it for you!

Sadly Fencing isnt really one of the more popular sports,as much as id like to see more it,along with some other events like badmington,Judo and such,the main focus at the games is usually the athletics and Swimming events.

To be fair badminton does get some decent coverage due to the success of the British pair in recent times...

Olympic official have denied agreeing to curbs on internet access for foreign journalists covering the Beijing Games.

Reporters found a number of politically sensitive websites blocked earlier this week, and some senior Olympic officials said they had been aware of it.

But International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said that there had been "no deal to accept restrictions" on access.

He also praised China's organisation of the Games, which open next week.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Mr Rogge hailed the "excellent organisation" of the Games, saying the Olympic village was the best he had ever seen.

However, he went on to say that the IOC required journalists "to have the fullest possible access to report on the Olympic Games".

"I am adamant in saying there has been no deal whatsoever to accept restrictions," he added.

When asked if the IOC had been naive on the internet issue, Mr Rogge said: "I would say we are idealists. Idealism is linked with some naivety."

China had promised that foreign media would be given unfettered access.

On Wednesday, IOC press commission chairman Kevan Gosper said he had been advised that some IOC officials "had negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked" at Olympic venues.

China enforces tough internet controls, and Chinese President Hu Jintao has appealed to the international media not to "politicise" the Beijing Games.

However, access restrictions appear to have been eased in recent days.

Mr Rogge said on Saturday that he was pleased that journalists could now visit the BBC Mandarin website, Wikipedia and a number of websites for human rights groups.

Some other sensitive sites are reported to remain unavailable.

Drug bans

Other major concerns in the week before the Games begin have been about drug use and air quality.

On Saturday, the IOC stripped gold medals form the US 4x400m men's relay team won at the Sydney Games in 2000, after sprinter Antonio Pettigrew admitted in June that he used banned substances between 1997 and 2003.

The IOC was going to discuss whether to allow Greek athlete Katerina Thanou to compete at the Games, but it now seems a final decision has been delayed until next Thursday at the earliest.

The sprinter pulled out of the Athens Olympics in 2004 after failing to report for a drugs test.

She was banned for two years after missing her third test, but is now in Greece's athletic team for this year's Games and has threatened to sue Mr Rogge if she is barred from Beijing.

Mr Rogge said a recent increase in positive drugs tests ahead of the Games was the result of a deliberate IOC policy.

He said 17 athletes had tested positive in the lead up to the Games.

"This is the result of a deliberate strategy and policy. These are 17 cheats who will not falsify the competition," he said.

Air pollution remains another big worry, although the skies over Beijing on Saturday were clear.

The Chinese authorities have been working on improving the dirty air that hangs over Beijing, but athletes remain concerned.

Steve Roush, head of sports performance with the US team, said he was monitoring the situation and was optimistic.

"We do have fallback plans if all of a sudden it deteriorates to the point where the health and safety of our athletes might be in jeopardy," he said.

"But I don't think that if the air quality was at that level that the IOC would even allow for the competition to take place."

I thought it was common knowledge that China placed excessive bans on internet access? Still its a bit ridiculous. You would have though some of these news agencies would have some form of Satellite net access.

Well its here and about to begin in a few hours.Cant wait to see some top class sporting action.Should be a great olympics,just wish i could have been there myself this time.

Im supporting britain,China Korea and Japan,and the smaller countries to! Sick of the US dominating a lot of events so lets hope we can see some great success stories of smaller nations and lesser known athletes!

Indeed braxious :).Not your overpaid arrogant footballers on show here,just hard working athletes looking to become the best in the world.The opening ceremony has been fantastic and bejing is one beautiful place.Im looking forward mostly to the Badmington and Atheltics events most of all.

Im just watching a replay of the opening stunning yang ximou (the director of Hero) whatever his name is Im sure MiB will be correcting me as soon as he reads this, did an amazing job.

Incredible. Although a bit long.....

So will Micheal Phelps win the 8 Golds this time? He only needs 4 to become the greatest Olympian of all time.

I see the first of our medal hopes the Judo guy bombed out. Here we go over hyping our chances.

We seem to do quite well in the cycling each time.I saw the Judo as well and pretty much as Mib said Masato owened the French Guy.Im currently watching the badmington and the gymnastics (some of the girls are awfully cute ^-^).

Totoro101 wrote:

---

Im currently watching the badmington and the gymnastics (some of the girls are awfully cute ^-^).

---

Yes I have noticed that too ^-^

We are doing well in the swimming and looks like sailing is starting to get better too.

I did watch the ladies Hockey, we played Germany and lost 5-1. Was raining lots and the girls got soaked through.

 

be fair braxious its only been a few days ^-^.Im sure we will pick some up soon.

ok i will yeild.

still so far a good olympics