The Scarlet C

Photo courtesy of 05evelma

Branded a drugs cheat, the subject of many a public debate, regularly vilified in 140 characters or less – it’s a wonder he even gets out of bed. Most of us can hardly manage the criticism from a manager or someone whose opinion we value, let alone the scrutiny of an entire nation. Chambers has been bold in facing his critics head on – a move that many of us would struggle to make.

There isn’t enough evidence to prove that the mental pressure he is likely to be under can only outweigh the gains that some people feel Chambers is still benefiting from. (Fernando Torres, however, may endorse this argument).

One has to ask, why would a governing body with so many scientists at their disposal allow a cheat to compete if the substances he was taking would still give him an advantage this many years on?

Long term gains or not, the Chambers debate isn’t about whether or not he is still benefiting from the gains, it is about feelings versus the law. How many of us can truly say that we put in a full day’s work? Is that not cheating? Is there a big cheat and a little cheat? Chambers just reminds us of our flaws and we hate him for it.

The overturning of his lifetime battle was just one of the challenges Chambers now needs to overcome. It’s unlikely that he will be embraced by his teammates for fear of upsetting their own fans and he will be under far more surveillance than he ever has been due to his history.

Many will argue that he’s made his bed and therefore has to lie in it and to an extent – they’re right. Ironically, the average person passing judgment will never find themselves in the circumstances Chambers did and are therefore not in a position to judge.

I think it’s a testament to his character to not only fall from grace but to attempt to reclaim his status as a successful sprinter, but this time with a scarlet ‘C’ on his chest.