I am a sports lawyer in London and my specialism is doping regulation. I act for sports governing bodies and also defend athletes who have tested positive after a drugs test.
The rules against doping are, rightly, strict. But they do occasionally catch people out who never intended to cheat. Perhaps an athlete took a cough medicine or a contaminated supplement.
Most lawyers work on precedent, but doping cases require some detective work. Last year, I represented an international rugby player who faced a two-year ban after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone. We got the case dismissed after we proved his testosterone had spiked following a particularly heavy drinking session. Few people knew alcohol could do that, so it was a unique case.
An inadvertent mistake can end a career. It is not just the individual who suffers but also families, team mates and clubs.
Some athletes may have sponsors who paid large sums for endorsements or campaigns.
My job can involve long hours. Investigative work keeps me at the office – calling scientists around the world or scouring the internet for research papers. When you are working with an athlete whose livelihood is at stake, you do all you can to find out what is going on.
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