Athletics: Sports Council responds to Walker furore
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Your support makes all the difference.THE UNITED KINGDOM Sports Council has countered claims that it has mishandled the doping case of Dougie Walker, the 1998 European 200m gold medallist who was suspended on Wednesday pending a UK Athletics hearing into allegations that he used the banned drug nandrolone.
Metabolites of the substance were found in Walker's urine sample after an out-of-competition drugs test last December. Nine days ago an independent inquiry considered his case but their findings were not released until Wednesday.
It was exactly four months ago yesterday when Walker was tested at his Edinburgh home. His lawyer, Nick Bitel, is fuming about the delay in dealing with the case and is now even angrier that it could be weeks before his client knows the outcome of the hearing.
Yesterday Bitel claimed they were considering legal action against the Sports Council after having to wait so long for a decision from the inquiry.
The Sports Council has made a strong response to the criticism from Bitel and Walker. Michele Verroken, the Sports Council's director of ethics and anti-doping, said: "To be fair to all athletes, drug issues must be thoroughly investigated by the relevant governing bodies to conclude whether or not an offence has occurred.
"Whilst it may not at first sight seem like it, the processes are there to protect the reputation of all athletes and reinforce the strong commitment of the governing body to manage effectively drug misuse in their sport.
"The UK Sports Council remains fully supportive of athletes who want to compete drug-free. We are committed to protecting their reputations. We are also fully supportive of governing bodies who are charged with the responsibility of determining the truth and exercise this responsibility effectively.
"We recognise the difficulties - often increased by media speculation and comment - of managing doping issues and know that is never going to be an easy task. To assist all parties involved, it is essential that they be allowed to focus upon the facts of the case, rather than be diverted by the confusing and often inaccurate information circulating.
"Such situations do nothing to enhance the credibility of anyone involved."
UK Athletics has still not released the hearing date, but it is determined that it will be sooner rather than later so that Walker, whatever the decision, can be allowed peace of mind.
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