8 Oct 2011

Sport: Oceania olympic commitee disappointed by court ruling

9:25 am on 8 October 2011

The president of the Oceania Olympic Committee says its disappointing an IOC doping rule has been overturned.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned an International Olympic Committee doping rule, which for the last three years has led to Olympic Games bans on athletes who've been suspended for six months or longer.

Oceania president Robin Mitchell, who is also chair of the Oceania regional anti doping organisation, says the court's decision means the IOC must now go back to the drawing board in regard to legislating against drug cheats.

"And they probably need to start looking at working with the world anti doping organisation to come up with a rule that is enforceable and that probably won't happen till 2013. But disappointing that its happened. Disppointing for the clean athletes who have trained very hard to get where they are in sport. But I guess its something we have to live with because of not being able to enforce the rule as is."