EA want extra two-year championship ban for dopers

BIRMINGHAM, England, Mar 1 (Reuters) European Athletics (EA) have called for athletes found guilty of doping to be banned from taking part in world or area championships for a further two years.

The proposal is to be put to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) congress in Osaka in August.

''Quite simply, we are proposing that no athlete convicted of a doping offence and given a two-year suspension may take part, after the punishment concludes, in any world and/or area championships for a period of two years, which includes at least the next championships,'' EA president Hansjoerg Wirz told a news conference today.

Greece's Katerina Thanou is competing at the European indoor championships in Birmingham this weekend after her two-year suspension for doping violations ended last December.

Britain's Dwain Chambers won a relay gold medal at last year's outdoor European championships, months after returning to action from his doping ban for a positive test for THG.

''After two years they (athletes) can enter any competition but not a championship,'' Wirz said of the proposal.

''It's a kind of a competition or entry rule and we are looking at that situation from the legal side because that has to be respected.'' The EA president did not rule out implementing the scheme independently if the IAAF rejected the rule change.

''We would look to see if it's legally possible. It's always a question of how legally it is accepted. If you make such a rule and then you lose all the time in court then it's silly,'' Wirz said.

Unlike organisers of events such as Golden League and grand prix meetings, EA and other associations are not able to choose which athletes take part in their competitions.

''According to our rules the federation has the right to enter athletes and we have to accept if an athlete is eligible,'' Wirz said.

''A general rule, under such conditions that you cannot enter an athlete, is much more successful than going to each federation and asking them to withdraw the right they have,'' he added.

The EA expect dope testing to reach three figures for both blood and urine tests at the championships, which start tomorrow.

Reuters SY DB2329