Following a joint request for arbitration filed by the IOC and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), CAS declared last week that the IOC's rule 45 or "Osaka Rule", which banned any athlete serving a suspension of six months or more for doping violations from the subsequent Olympic Games, was "invalid and unenforceable".

CAS concluded that the penalty went beyond World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions of a maximum two-year ban and therefore was effectively a double punishment.

But Sir Craig, who is also a WADA Executive Board member, feels that the ruling will have no bearing on the London 2012 Games as it has never been applied at Summer Olympic Games before.

"The Osaka Rule actually came into place shortly before the Beijing 2008 Games so London 2012 was the first time it would have been implemented," Sir Craig told insidethegames.

"Therefore there is no reason to fear any additional difficulties compared with previous competitions because nothing is new.

"I think when the Olympics gets underway next year, people will be so impressed by the fantastic stadiums and the world class competition on display that the fact that a theoretical drug ruling was changed will have no bearing on things.

"I share the IOC's disappointment in the CAS decision but if you are going to arbitrate, you need two sides that agree to arbitrate.

"The USOC and the IOC agreed to arbitrate and we will therefore be bound by that arbitration rule."

Sir Craig, who was chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) from 1992 to 2005, continued that he has no real issue with the lifetime ban ruling implemented by his former organisation.


The current BOA chairman Colin Moynihan (pictured left with Reedie), who succeeded Sir Craig in 2005, has already insisted that he will fight to keep the lifetime Olympic ban in place meaning that top British athletes such as sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar will be unable to compete at London 2012.

Moynihan has already written to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne to seek their backing for that position which they are set to confirm.

"I am not sure that my personal views are particularly helpful in a debate like this at the moment but I have always been comfortable with the BOA lifetime ban ruling," said Sir Craig.

"I think I am probably the only person left who was at the meeting in 1990 when the late Sir Arthur Gold [who was BOA chairman from 1988 to 1992] actually put the BOA lifetime ban ruling in place.

"It has always been supported by the athletes and it is actually a very sophisticated piece of legislation that hasn't altered significantly over time.

"But we now have a situation where under a slightly different set of circumstances, a court has said one thing that means the BOA ban stays in place until it is decided otherwise."

WADA has already asked the BOA to review its policy of giving a lifetime Olympic ban.

"It'd be wrong if [the BOA] didn't look at it," said WADA director general David Howman.

"We expect those that have those rules to comply with the court.

"We anticipate that they will.

"It's the BOA's privilege but they could face a court challenge from an athlete.

"Their stance could be seen as an extra sanction."

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