UPDATE 1-Olympics-BOA will fight Chambers in court over life ban

(adds BOA, Coe reaction)

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - The British Olympic Association (BOA) said on Thursday it would vigorously defend any case brought by sprinter Dwain Chambers to outlaw the organisation's policy of lifetime bans for drugs cheats.

Chambers, who served a two-year ban for steroid use, began legal action on Thursday to try to overturn the BOA's ban so that he can compete in the 100 metres in Beijing, having achieved the qualifying standard.

His legal team issued a statement claiming that the byelaw was an unreasonable restraint of trade and was inherently unfair and unreasonable.

"Mr Chambers will seek from the court a declaration that the bylaw is unenforceable, a declaration that he is eligible for inclusion in Team GB for Beijing 2008 and an order that, subject to his achieving first or second place at the UK trials, he be included in Team GB for the Beijing Olympic Games," the statement said.

The UK athletics trials take place in Birmingham over the weekend of July 11-13 and Chambers, who ran 10.05 seconds in Sofia on Monday, is favourite to win the 100 metres, a victory that would normally guarantee Olympic selection.

The BOA responded in a statement: "In the interests of the British Olympic movement and the athletes who aspire to line up at an Olympic Games and our youngsters looking for Olympic glory in London, the BOA confirms that it will vigorously and unequivocally defend its eligibility bye-law on drug cheats who have brought themselves and their sports into disrepute."

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY

Several athletes have previously successfully challenged their lifetime BOA bans, basing their appeals on mitigating circumstances or the injustice of their initial doping offences.

Chambers, however, admitted his offence and is the first to challenge the legality of the BOA bylaw.

Last week several leading British Olympians, including Steve Redgrave and Kelly Holmes, were among more than 100 sportsmen and women who signed a petition supporting the BOA's stance.

On Thursday London 2012 Olympic organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe defended the BOA's stance.

"I actually genuinely think that a governing body of a sport, or a sports organisation, has to do whatever it thinks is necessary to maintain the integrity of the sport," the twice Olympic 1,500 metres champion told reporters

"And I don't think that should be challenged. The sadness of it is that we are going to be inevitably in a six-week period of stuff that we shouldn't be. We can't ignore it.

"I've heard for far too many years the initial response that the primary concern is for the athlete. Actually it's not. The primary concern is the well-being of the sport. If you don't do that, the athletes can go home. We're protecting 99 percent of athletes who chose to do this (athletics) for the right reasons."

(Editing by Padraic Halpin)