Anita Lonsbrough
The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) in Atlanta
gave Korneev the benefit of the doubt after Russian officials claimed that
the drug, bromatan, was not performance-enhancing. Although Prince Alexandre
de Merode, Chairman of the IOC Medical Commission, said "For us it
remains a stimulant and masking agent. We will in the future try to prove
it in a non-disputable way."
The opportunity of appealing through both the British
Olympic Association (BOA) and the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain
(ASFGB) have seen the doors close. The BOA has, it feels, no case for an
appeal because it was not involved in the Court of Arbitration's decision,
and has no right to appeal.
David Sparkes, secretary of the ASFGB, said "The
issue has been dealt with by the Court of Arbitation of Sport (CAS) in Atlanta.
Having studied the decision of the CAS, we would find it hard to find a
basis for launching an appeal through the courts." He went on to add,
"We, the ASFGB, would prefer to concentrate energy in ensuring a better
system for an unannounced drug testing programme."
But a glimmer of hope appeared last month when Nick Gillingham was contacted by a solicitor who feels he has a case. Nick, 29, admits that "it is becoming an increasingly lonely struggle, with legal action financially impossible."