Gold medal sprinter Darren Campbell today claimed
American sport has a greater drug problem than Britain.

Fellow sprinter Dwain Chambers has provoked widespread anger by going to court to challenge his life ban by the British Olympic Association in a bid to compete in Beijing this summer.

But Campbell, who won gold in the 4x100metres relay in 2004 and a 200m silver in Sydney four years earlier, says there are more serious issues on the other side of the Atlantic.

The trial of Trevor Graham, former coach of disgraced sprinters Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, could see several big-name athletes accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Graham's trial for perjury began in San Francisco yesterday, and Campbell said: “If nothing else, it
will make people look at the Americans who kept pulling out unbelievable performances.

“One Brit in 10 years is caught using drugs, and it is made out to be the worst thing in the world,
yet the Americans are caught and involved far more. They need to clean up their house.“

But Campbell, who was speaking after a charity football match organised by the Cystic Fibrosis
Trust, believes the trial could ultimately benefit athletics.

“If everything comes out before Beijing, it will make those athletes who think cheating is still an
option think twice,” he said.