Luke J. Harris is a Sports Historian from Canterbury Christ Church University. He is the author of ‘Britain and the Olympics 1908-1920: Perspectives on participation and identity’
Should we forgive Justin Gatlin?
American Justin Gatlin, an athlete twice banned for taking illegal drugs, beat Usain Bolt in the 100 metres. Gatlin was continually jeered, but is this right? Can and should we forgive the American for his misdemeanours?
- 7 August 2017
To host or not to host: An Olympic dilemma
The Olympics are so expensive to host these days that often the supposed honour they bring is not worth the cost. Should we hold them in one city all the time and stop playing pass the parcel? Or as it that the next, costly Olympic sport?
- 13 July 2017
Russia and Doping: Why? And what is the future for sport?
The Russian doping scandal has asked many questions. The reasons why systematic doping took place and the future are just two of these.
- 25 July 2016
Premier League damaging England’s chance of glory
Last Saturday, England qualified for next summer’s European Football Championships. Yet there appears to be little expectation of success when the team compete in France.The question that must be asked is: why? Is the Premier League harming our chances?
- 8 September 2015
Blood doping: have the guilty athletes already won?
The allegations of widespread blood doping in the world of athletics have undermined the credibility of the IAAF, but how many sporting heroes have cheated the system and escaped unpunished? Simply offering a three-year ban is not enough
- 19 August 2015
Doping: Does the power of sport outweigh corruption?
With further revelations in The Sunday Times that marathon runners have been using blood doping techniques to cheat their way to victory, Luke J. Harris, a sports historian, asks whether the power of sport can ever outweigh that of corruption
- 9 August 2015
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