Athletes "need to be fitted with microchips, in a similar way that dogs are, in the fight against drug cheats in sport," a leading representative of int'l sportspeople said, according to Martha Kelner of the London GUARDIAN. World Olympians Association CEO Mike Miller claimed that "radical anti-doping methods" -- including implants to recognize the effects of banned substances -- are needed to protect clean sport. He said, "Some people say we shouldn’t do this to people. Well, we’re a nation of dog lovers, we’re prepared to chip our dogs and it doesn’t seem to harm them, so why aren’t we prepared to chip ourselves?" Miller claimed a "breakthrough in microchip technology is on the horizon and testers need to be aware of developments." His fear is that drug cheats "could exploit the technology to avoid detection through self-monitoring," alerting them when their blood has returned to "normal" levels before testers arrive (GUARDIAN, 10/10). In London, Ben Rumsby reported admitting he was "no Steve Jobs," Miller also called for drugs cheats to be banned for life. Miller: "We need to keep in front of the cheats." Stressing this was his "personal opinion" and not that of the WOA, he added, "The technology is not quite there yet but it's coming." Miller, who was Int'l Rugby Board CEO for a decade until '12, is "not the first person in sport to propose athletes are microchipped in the fight against doping" (TELEGRAPH, 10/10).
