CAS are due to hear the BOA's appeal against the World Anti-Doping Authority's (WADA) decision to declare the British ban "non-compliant" with its anti-doping code in London on March 12.

If the appeal is rejected the sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar will be able to eligible in this summer's Games.

Both are subject to life-time Olympic bans, under a BOA by-law that bars any athlete who has served a doping ban from selection for any British Olympic team.

Coe is a long-time campaigner against drugs in sport.

"I have written a supportive letter from a personal perspective of somebody who has a long and fairly robust history, and an unreconstructed history some might say, on this," Coe said.

"It is a personal view."

Coe's backing will be a big boost to the campaign being led by Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the BOA, who are now the only National Olympic Committee (NOC) to have a lifetime ban in place for drugs cheat.

Robertson, meanwhile, has written a letter backing the BOA's right to select its own team without outside interference. 

"It remains this Government's policy to support a lifetime ban for drugs cheats," he said.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2012: BOA anti-doping bylaw hearing moved from Lausanne to London
January 2012: Exclusive - BOA submit documents in doping bylaw case to CAS
January 2012: Exclusive - Our selection policy has stood the test of time, insists Moynihan
January 2012: Australian Olympic cyclists back BOA lifetime ban for drug cheats
January 2012: Date set for hearing into British Olympic Association anti-doping bylaw