The opprobrium directed at the new 100m world champion has hardly been a surprise but British fans should be wary of a holier than thou attitude
Before we begin in semi-earnest, a word on “serving one’s time” in the athletics ban sense of the term. I am all for doing one’s time and that being an end to it, but it does seem worth acknowledging what this means in any other place of work.
Say you worked at a building society, and were eventually discovered to have been cheating it out of funds, not to mention stealing from your colleagues’ wallets too. You’re out, you’re disgraced, you “do your time”, whatever form that may take. And at that point, your debt to society is paid and you should of course be allowed to get on with life. However, no one seriously expects the building society to have to welcome you back to your old job. And if it were somehow obligated to do so, not too many of us would begrudge the other employees – or the customers – their pursed lips. Or, indeed, their boos.
Related: World Athletics Championships: medal table and schedule
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