Unlike Dwain Chambers, David Millar and other former doping offenders from these shores, Simon Gibbs is not depending on the fall of the British Olympic Association's celebrated by-law to become eligible to represent the host nation in the London 2012 arena. Gibbs is a wheelchair basketball player and ParalympicsGB, the equivalent of the BOA on the Paralympics side of domestic sport, does not have a life ban in place on the selection of athletes who have incurred drug bans of six months or longer.
Gibbs has been serving a two-year suspension since testing positive for the stimulant mephedrone in March 2010. His ban ends in March 2012, which leaves him clear to compete in the home Paralympics six months later – theoretically, at any rate.
"Yes, there is no Paralympic by-law," Charlie Bethel, chief executive of British Wheelchair Basketball, said, "but it would not be automatic that Simon would come back into the squad. In terms of our own policy, there would be no issue. The organisation is of the opinion that Simon will have received his penalty and served his time.
"He would be eligible but it would put us in a very difficult situation. We are a minority sport funded by UK Sport and the Lottery, and UK Sport have a lifetime ban on the funding of athletes who have served two-year bans for anti-doping violations. How can we then allow Simon on court when our court time is paid for by UK Sport?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olym ... 67582.html