Once a cheat, always a cheat, I say, especially in elite sport where the rewards of success are so enormous. She must take her punishment, or any pretence that the authorities are against drugs use will be exploded. As it is, the public isn't fooled, and the general apathy regarding athletics is proof.

David L, Leeds, UK,

The Olympic commitee banning people automatically for life for a 'drugs offence' when they haven't tested positive, is draconian and blinkered. What they are saying is akin to a court of law saying 'You've commited a crime, that's life in jail' (!). People would say 'hang on, how can you just give a generic punishment without looking at the nature of the crime?' One person may have comited murder, the other may have shoplifted a handbag - hardly both worth the same sentence. Applying the same logic, how can testing positive for drugs hold the same punishment (lifetime ban), as someone who missed three drugs tests (the court of arbitrition for sport admitted she hadn'e tested positive)? The right thing for the olympic commitee to do is judge each case on its specific details, not just say 'Drugs offence, lifetime ban'! I think they are paranoid about being seen to be squeaky clean and are being unduly harsh as a result. The rule should be changed to fix this unjustice.

Andy, Warwick, United Kingdom

To miss one test is probably an accident. To miss two tests is, at the very least, careless. To miss three tests, when your whole career depends on it, is, well, lets just say, not up to the required standard. That is being generous in the extreme. To change your normal training venue, at the last moment and not inform the authorities, could be viewed as deceipt.
Why have rules at all if the very people they were set to catch are let off on appeal?

Surely the best available coaching and facilities should be presented to Nicola Sanders who, when all said and done, would have won Gold if Ohuruogu had not been competing. Are we so desperate in this country to win Olympic medals that we are prepared to lower our standards, just to achieve that aim?
I think any fair minded person in the UK knows the correct answer.

R. P. Dixon, London,

And it seems like only a matter of days since the media were re-printing snide insinuations made by a disappointed British athlete against a foreigner who had returned after a doping-related suspension and promptly delivered a personal best performance to win gold.

Oh, hang on a minute - it IS only a matter of days!

Make up your minds, one way or the other. Are people who accept rules, knowingly break them, and then try to get themselves made a "special case" acceptable or not?

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

Hard not to suspect something when she has missed 3 drugs tests, then winning the world championships after only a handful of races this year. Nice to see a Brit winning but unfortunately, it's hard to tell these days who is and who isn't on drugs. The athletes are always one step ahead of the testing process.

Greg, Fortaleza, Brazil

Unfortunately, the comments here are either silly (i.e. the first), incorrect (the second), incomprenhensible (the third) or misdirected (the last). In respect of the allegation of cheating, she wasn't caught 'cheating' she missed three out-of-competition tests in 18 months. The article above outlines the reason for her missing the last test. In order to understand the problem, you need to understand the rules, the rules require athletes to report one hour every day where they will be so that they are available for testing. In the real world how possible is that. Insofar as the Rio Ferdinand point, other organisations were "up in arms" not only because he missed a test but that a test official had actually approached him at the ground and he was able to leave (huge difference).

Johnny Blaze, London, England

There was a time when I positively LOVED the Olympics, but
I'm sorry but this lady needs to be treated as a drugs cheat.
Missing 4 tests in a row stretches credibility TOO far..and if Nigeria want her for their team, then so be it.
The looming London Celebration of Drugs in Sport 2012 is a tardy enough affair with all its corruption and double dealing. That with the horrendous ever rising bill makes it yet another british folly.
Very sad, but any magic has long gone !!

Robert McClair, PARTHENAY, FRANCE

Take drugs keep out of sport, it is unfair to the other competitors, who compete without the aid of drugs. Gordon Brown supports her case to be able to compete in the olympics. Little wonder crime and drugs are beginning to rule our country. These Scots who govern us are a twisted lot. Gordon says he will support your case if you are caught doing drugs. I rather suspect that Dave and Menzies, two other Scots would agree with Gord! ( Dave`s father is a Scot, does that make him a Scot?) Sniff and snort, or do what ever you do with drugs, it`s Ok, it must be a Scottish tradition, like playing the haggis or eating bagpipes.

Raymond Groutage, Ringwood, Hampshire, England

Does she run so fast precisely because she missed three drug tests? Maybe if she misses three more she will run even faster!

Phil Linehan, Mexico City, Mexico

The ban on olympic participation should stay as there will always be doubt, she did not help herself with her "knowing" laugh on five live when asked if she had ever taken drugs.

neil, edinburgh, scotland

If she is clean congratulations. If she is not am I really hearing the Prime Minsiter advocate turning a blind eye and sending yet another messge to the kids of this country that breaking the rules (whether of sport of social community) is ok? The question is simply (given the assumption she has brought upon herself by missing 3 tests) is she a cheat or not. The apropraite praise or disdain flow from the answer to that question.

James Curtis, Blackpool, UK

Only a few weeks ago Micheal Rasmussen was fired by his team as he lead the Tour de France and was an almost certain wilnner. He didn't fail a drugs test he just fibbed about where he was when he missed them. Sacked on suspicion. Lots of sports writers said this was a crisis in cycling. Now three weeks later everyone is asking for leniency for the same error in athletics. Let's just apply the same standards and not select on suspicion. Take a principled stand like cycling. Give up the the potential glory and sack the suspected cheat.

Samuel Gee, Farnham, UK

Congratulations to Christine Ohuruogu on an outstanding achievement. But, how does a committed international athlete miss three mandatory drug tests for which she must surely have been given adequate notice. Athletes at this level must know how important it is to attend the tests.

Charles, Milton Keynes, UK

somebody please help South Africa other than soccer, rugby, cricket, we are woefully inadequate, we call on British Sports establishment to help us pleese

siyabonga, DURBAN, South Africa

If you cant do the time dont do the crime. Tough, she shouldnt go, ignorance is no excuse.

Andy Brown, Aberystwyth,

All cheats should be banned for life with no exceptions. Who did this women and other cheats deprive to 'attain' their status in sport? The only way to stop cheats is to ban them for life with no chance of a comeback.

Kenneth Wheatley, St Pée sur Nivelle, France

What does Sally Otherton have to say - or what's her name? You know, your squeaky clean heptathlon bronze medalist...

Roberto L Tanizaki, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Missing three drug tests is absolutely incomprehensible and I don't understand why she did not receive a two year ban.

I simply don't believe the wide-eyed innocence theory.

Then coming back after being out of competition for a year and improving her PB by a large margin makes one even more suspicious.

This one definitely stinks!

Jonathan, London,

This lady missed important drug tests. She isn't stupid, she knew how important they were. If they back down and allow her to compete in the Olympics then they are saying "it's OK to miss drug tests", because we are desperate for Olympic medals.

Tracey, Surrey, UK

We need to clear this up. Christine was not caught cheating as one person has said. She missed 3 drug tests which was inexcusable and her management team have a lot to be blamed for. She has never been found positive in a drug test and indeed during her year ban she was tested continuously like all athletes and found clear. So to clarify she was found guilty of missing 3 drug tests over an extended time period of 18 months, not for taking drugs.
She has been punished (rather harshly in my opinion) and her her reputation will be tarnished and that she has to live with. But she has worked hard continuously during her year ban and deserves to go to the Olympics.

Sandra, Brighton, UK

The facts are she has been caught cheating and all trust has gone.

Michael Campbell , londonderry, n ireland

If I remember rightly, the Athletics people were among the first to crticise Rio Ferdinand for missing 1 drug test and calling on the Football authorities to take all sorts of drastic action against him. This young lady has missed not 1 test, but 3. Enough said I think.

E R Robertss, Stockport, Cheshire

Only in Britian would a newly crowned world c\hampion be in such a situation. It really is time we came into the 21st Century. we need a level palying field for our athletes to compete with the rest of the world. either all countries ban competitors who have been convicted of a drug offence (any offence) or no country should.(and that includes the UK).
Its time we got over this quaint 19th century colonial attitude of playing by thr rules of cricket when everyone else is playing by the rules of baseball. So should she go to the 2008 Olympics? I say Let the girl GO

Barry, London, UK

Oh Dear. How cruelly harsh. Who can we prevail upon to change this sorry sequence of events ? How about if these athletes, er.... turn up to their drugs tests?

Morag, Bristol,