Johnson criticises Chambers

The victims are the people who ran the 100m relay at the World Championships with him - Darren Campbell and the other guys Michael Johnson

British sprinter Dwain Chambers only has himself to blame for failing a drugs test, according to former Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Chambers has admitted failing a test for the banned steroid THG but denied knowingly taking the drug.

But Johnson, speaking to BBC's Grandstand, said it "shouldn't matter" whether an ahtlete has willingly taken a drug.

Johnson added: "I can see this turning into a situation where Dwain Chambers is the victim, and he is not a victim."

Johnson said that ignorance was no excuse for Chambers or any other athlete.

"It doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter whether an athlete has not 'knowingly' taken a banned substance - and I hope it won't matter to the people who will be following and prosecuting these cases," he said.

"If anything the victims are the people who ran the 100m relay at the World Championships with him - Darren Campbell and the other guys.

Chambers admits positive test Chambers' claim 'inexcusable'

"They stand to lose their medals and prize money - whenever someone is found to have been using performance enhancing dugs, whether knowingly or not, people lose out."

The entire British 4x100m relay team stands to lose the silver medal they won at the World Championships if Chambers' positive test is confirmed by his B sample.

Johnson says he is not surprised by the recent spate of positive tests in sport but believes the governing bodies now have a chance to clean up athletics before the 2004 Olympics.

"This could be a tremor or an earthquake," he said. "It really depends on how the governing bodies choose to deal with it.

"They could use it as an opportunity to clean up the sport or they could choose to protect their athletes from any more scandal or damage.

"They cannot do that because the damage to athletics has already been done.

"What this scandal could do is have a positive impact, and ensure that the majority of athletes competing in Athens are clean."