The Wolverhampton judoka won a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and repeated that performance four years later in Seoul only to lose it after he tested positive for fusemide, which is used to decrease weight or reduce swelling.

Brown admitted taking the diuretic to treat a swollen knee and was sent home, as well as being banned for three months.

The story was front page news at the time because at the same time Linford Christie also tested positive for pseudoephedrine but, unlike Brown, controversially escaped being punished because the International Olympic Committee accepted his explanation that he had ingested it unknowingly in ginseng tea. 

Earlier in the Games Christie had been upgraded to the silver medal in the 100 metres after Canadian Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and was stripped of the gold medal.

Brown has remained active in the sport and is now seeking to take over from White, the husband of 1984 Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson, who has decided to step down after being accused of "rotten leadership" by veteran Olympian Winston Gordon after critcising some athletes and questioning their commitment during London 2012, where Britain won two medals, a silver and bronze.

The 50-year-old Brown has been nominated for the post by the Midland Area Committee and has issued a nine-point manifesto. 

Kerrith Brown has launched a nine point manifesto in his bid to become the new chairman of the British Judo Association

"We need to stand and be counted when called upon by you, the judo community, and our past and present methods will not make a successful future," he said.

"Let the old make way for the new and to be open minded with the new generation."

Brown is one of four candidates to succeed White, who was frustrated in the build-up to London 2012 by the number of judoka competing away from the British Judo Performance Institute in Dartford.

Others include Roy Inman, who was the BJA national coach for over 15 years and has coached at three Olympic Games, and his players have won six Olympic medals and 13 World Championships.

He is pitching himself as the candidate of "experience," promising to "establish a strong club base closely linked to a national squads pathway infrastructure".

Inman is also part of the panel currently conducting a review of the sport following this summer's Olympics in London.

Sir Clive Woodward, the coach of the English rugby team which won the 2003 World Cup, is heading the review along with Inman, former Football Association chief executive Mark Palios, and Dave Reddin, an elite performance expert.

Also standing is former Olympian and European champion Rowena Birch, who says that the BJA "must together embrace the challenge and the hard work needed to succeed, like the fighters do on the mat."

"We must accept that sustainable progress is rarely found in quick fixes, designed to meet over simplified targets," she added.

Birch, a BJA Board member and national judo coach, also has experience working with athletics and hockey.

The final contender is double European and former world champion Loretta Doyle.

She says she stands for honesty, caring, listening and respect, and has urged BJA members to take the opportunity to "shape the future of our community and our sport."

The winner is due to be announced on October 13 and will assume the position at the annual meeting on November 10 in Warwick.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2012: Woodward to oversee detailed analysis of British Judo in wake of London 2012 showing