A dog’s life for athletes

SIR – According to Mike Miller of the World Olympians Association, athletes ought to be treated like dogs. That, at least, is his justification for microchipping athletes in order to catch drugs cheats (Sport, October 11).

This is not only demeaning to athletes, but also disproportionate and, prima facie, a breach of their human right to privacy under article 8 of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

However laudable fighting doping in sport may be, the end, in this case, does not justify the means. Prof Ian Blackshaw

International Law Unit Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge