The British Olympic Association is pleased to confirm that the rider, Diane Lampard, has successfully appealed against a BOA bye-law which states that any person found guilty of a doping offence is ineligible for consideration as a future member of the Great Britain Olympic Team.

Diane Lampard was found on 1st October 2003 by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to have committed a doping offence. The prohibited substances Valerenic Acid (a sedative) and Felbinac (an anti-inflamatory) were found in the urine of her horse Abbervail Dream at an international competition under FEI rules. The FEI ordered that the horse and Mrs Lampard be disqualified from the event and Mrs Lampard was fined CHF 500 and ordered to pay costs of CHF 500.

The BOA Appeals Panel considered the appeal and the relevant FEI regulations and found that Mrs Lampard’s appeal should be allowed on the basis that the offence was minor.

The Panel decided Mrs Lampard’s lifetime Olympic ban should be commuted and that Mrs Lampard’s eligibility for consideration as a member of the Great Britain Olympic Team should be restored with immediate effect.

The BOA strongly opposes all uses by sports people of illegal drugs and continues to find the use of any banned substance taken to enhance performance as totally unacceptable.

Commenting on the decision, the BOA’s Chief Executive Simon Clegg said: ‘The British Olympic Association continues to believe that its life-time ban for anyone found guilty of a doping offence sends the strongest possible message to everyone in sport that we will not tolerate the use of performance enhancing drugs. Diane Lampard has successfully appealed against her life-time ban on the basis that the offence was minor and we therefore offer her our best wishes for Team GB selection for Athens.’

For more information contact:

Philip Pope (ext. 233) or Becki Middleton (ext. 215) in the BOA Media Office on 0208 871 2677.