The anti-doping rules in Canada allow athletes to be tested up to 18 months after retirement.

He also received a three-match ban for anti-doping rules breaching, in late 2003.

At all times they have said the bylaw is not an anti-doping rule but a selection policy.

Now they are saying it's an anti-doping rule.

We therefore said we would back their anti-doping rules.

Any violation of the anti-doping rules must be punished severely.

But he said: "Allegations of anti-doping rules are easy to bring.

"It seems to me the anti-doping rules are lacking any notion of common sense."

In that case, which involved swimming's international federation, anti-doping rules were altered to provide for advanced technology not available at the time of the offense.

Last week, he created a furor by arguing that anti-doping rules should be liberalized.