Too many of us refuse to believe ill of our own over drugs

When is failing a drugs test not worthy of out and out condemnation? When it is a British sports person who is under the microscope.

Yesterday, UK Athletics confirmed that Nigel Levine, the British 400m sprinter, had been provisionally suspended after a failed test.

The 28-year-old, who was part of the Great Britain team who won the 4x400m relay at the European Championships in 2014, allegedly tested positive for the banned asthma drug clenbuterol. The matter was reported matter of factly, Twitter did not implode and people have called on him to be granted the benefit of the doubt until a UK Anti-doping hearing.

Last month we had British Cycling chief executive Julia Harrington criticising the fact that Chris Froome had been “outed” for exceeding the permitted dosage of salbutamol, another asthma drug. It is also performance-enhancing.

She said it had harmed the reputation of Froome and British Cycling and, again, people are keen to find extenuating circumstances.

There are some who are studying both cases with eyes wide open but far too many refuse to believe ill of our own. It was the same when Linford Christie – who has coached Levine – twice failed tests. The second was after he had retired and meant it could all be swept under the carpet, so he is still hailed as a hero.

And, while Dwain Chambers was never forgiven for his fall from grace, he was allowed to return and took to the track minus the kind of booing that echoed around the London Stadium when two-time cheat Justin Gatlin lined up alongside Usain Bolt in August.

Because when Brits mess up, it is a blunder, a mistake, but when others cheat – people who hail from other nations, people whose names end in -ova – the judgment is as harsh as it should be. Time for the British public to change its attitude.