Christie: Chambers can be ambassador

10:59pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

Sprint legend Linford Christie has urged the sport to forgive and "rehabilitate" drug cheat Dwain Chambers rather than "leave him to rot".

The 30-year-old last week lost his appeal against a British Olympic Association bylaw which bans him from competing in all future Games.

"There are rules and regulations in life we have to abide to but sometimes I feel that forgiveness is one of those things that we've got to look into," said Christie. "Okay, he can't go to the Olympics but I think the sport has to rehabilitate him."

Christie - who now coaches but is also banned from the Olympics having failed a drug test himself at the end of his career - believes Chambers should be used as an "ambassador".

"I don't really comment on Dwain but there are rules and regulations in our sport that we all have to abide to," added the 1992 Olympic 100m gold medalist.

Christie also believes a successful, clean comeback by Chambers would set a good example.

"Yes, and I think that's what they need to use him as an ambassador for the sport.

"Go out there to the kids in the community and say 'Listen, this is what's happened to me. I made mistakes and sometimes your mistakes come back and bite you in the bum so don't do the same as I did.'

"And I'm sure he can go out there and do good but if we leave him there to rot than he'll become a bitter person and who knows. So I honestly feel sometimes that forgiveness is one of the things that says, 'If God can forgive us then we should go out and forgive others.' That's something I'm learning."

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