If long-distance runners are a different breed, then the elite cross-country athletes of Kenya deserve their own branch in the athletic hierarchy.

These athletes deserve to play in front of people.

In truth, a top athlete like Carl Lewis was a millionaire and rightly deserved to live that way.

These athletes work grueling, long hours and deserve our respect.

I do wish them well and realise that most athletes deserve the money but athletics, like football, has become an industry with profit in mind.

"The village is the cornerstone of any Games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition."

Innocent athletes deserve to be protected by tests for substances like EPO and human growth hormone, he said.

This is not to say that pro athletes deserve sympathy.

The real issue is whether both athletes deserve quick emotional second chances as well as their certified legal second chances.

No athlete deserves to miss a record because of an injury, or even by .001 of a second, but it happens.