Andy Miah in The Lancet (and the London Times)

The rules of sport definne a level playing field on which athletes compete.Antidoping policies exist,in theory, to encourage fair play.However,we believe they are unfounded dangerous,and excessively costly.

The need for rules in sports cannot be dismissed. But the anchoring of today’s antidoping regulations in the notion of fair play is misguided, since other factors that affect performance —e.g., biological and environmental factors, —are unchecked. Getting help from one’s genes — by being blessed with a performance-enhancing genetic predisposition —is acceptable.Use of drugs is not. Yet both types of advantage are undeserved. Prevailing sports ethics is unconcerned with this contradiction.

Science has become so pervasive in sport, argues Andy Miah, a bioethicist at the University of Paisley, that we should view genetic modification (GM) as just another performance- improving technology. “What, with training methods, nutritional supplements and specialised equipment, the contemporary elite athlete is already inherently technological,” Dr Miah says. “GM is only cheating insofar as it’s banned by the WADA. But should it be?” Despite the ban, GM athletes are expected to make their first appearance — covertly — at Beijing in 2008.