Swimming against the tide

His stinging comments about the widespread perception among athletes that not enough is being done to penalise persons caught up in doping, are a welcome turn. Most swimmers cause a splash with their legs .

Bovell has triggered waves of debate with his tongue .

Our 200m medley bronze medallist from Athens in 2004 has served his country well .

Even before the outcome of Thursday’s race at the Aquatics Stadium at Rio, he made history by becoming the first swimmer to appear at five Olympics .

His after-race remarks to a UK newspaper cannot be dismissed as merely the bitter rant of a loser who did not advance .

He has asked the world to pick sense out of nonsense .

“I see the cheating going on .

I see the people with terrible technique swimming incredible times and the people dropping lots of time late in their careers,” Bovell was quoted as saying. “The people at the bottom, like us, we just feel like gladiators. Ancient Roman slave gladiators.” This is strong language, but not surprising .

Days prior, Bovell had taken to social media, tweeting, “It’s laughable when cheaters who escape detection by covering up their dirty deeds actually think they are good athletes.” The context was clear. The comments came days after US swim star Lilly King called out her Russian rival Yulia Efimova for past cheating, as well as two US team-mates, sprinters Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay .

Unlike King, Bovell has not provided any specific names .

If he has details of specific instances of cheating, he should report these. But in the meanwhile, who the cap fits...let them wear it. Bovell’s remarks place the conduct of international bodies under the microscope .

While he aimed his guns at FINA, the body has been making some effort to treat with the fallout from the Russian doping scandal. But those efforts have been so seriously undermined that the swimmer’s frustration is understandable .

According to one report, three International Olympic Committee officials reinstated Efimova, even though Fina in July declared no previously sanctioned swimmers should compete. A court ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeared to clear the way for her to race. However, the sharp remarks of our Olympian places pressure not only on international bodies, but also on drug cheats themselves .

For while no one should be penalized unfairly for past misdemeanours, does it really benefit sport and is it fair in the long-run if previously penalized persons are allowed back into the gayelle? It would be a mistake to dismiss any of this as having nothing to do with local sport. Unfortunately, the Caribbean has been directly touched by doping scandals, with the Jamaican team in the men’s relay at the 2012 London Games being stripped of their medal because of it. Also, Bovell’s remarks clearly have implications for the TT Olympic Committee and the decision to include Kelly-Ann Baptiste who failed a doping test in 2013. The CAS eventually cleared Baptiste, who has trained with Gay, to compete once again. But her national records of 10.83 (100 m) and 22.36 (200 m) were wiped out and her reputation damaged .

What is the local policy in relation to past doping sanctions? Why have we failed to set up the laboratories required by law? Thanks to Bovell, these are some of the questions that must now be grappled with .

Who have cocoa in the sun let them look for rain .