RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Michael Johnson said yesterday he believed athletes with a record of doping offences should be banned from the Olympics as the furore over convicted drug cheats at the Games raged.

The United States track and field legend said that International Olympic Committee (IOC) pledges to toughen laws against convicted dopers were “a step in the right direction”.“I think clean athletes around the world would applaud that,” Johnson told AFP, adding that he believed any athlete who failed a drugs test should be barred from the Olympics.“I would love them to say that an athlete with even only one ban or one doping offence should miss an Olympics,” the 1996 Olympics 400m and 200m champion added.The move came as the IOC confirmed it is studying a fresh move to implement its “Osaka rule”, which mandates that athletes guilty of “serious” doping violations should be barred from the following Olympics.It follows an explosive start to the Olympic swimming competition which has seen athletes lash out at the presence of convicted dopers in the pool.Johnson yesterday said he fully supported athletes who chose to speak out.“I think the athletes should do what they feel they need to do,” Johnson said. “Some of the athletes felt they needed to raise their concern with the public. They felt that they had no other choice and that they were competing against other athletes who have had doping issues in the past and they felt that needed to be highlighted,” he said. “They had every right to do that.”

The United States track and field legend said that International Olympic Committee (IOC) pledges to toughen laws against convicted dopers were “a step in the right direction”.

“I think clean athletes around the world would applaud that,” Johnson told AFP, adding that he believed any athlete who failed a drugs test should be barred from the Olympics.

“I would love them to say that an athlete with even only one ban or one doping offence should miss an Olympics,” the 1996 Olympics 400m and 200m champion added.

The move came as the IOC confirmed it is studying a fresh move to implement its “Osaka rule”, which mandates that athletes guilty of “serious” doping violations should be barred from the following Olympics.

It follows an explosive start to the Olympic swimming competition which has seen athletes lash out at the presence of convicted dopers in the pool.

Johnson yesterday said he fully supported athletes who chose to speak out.

“I think the athletes should do what they feel they need to do,” Johnson said.

“Some of the athletes felt they needed to raise their concern with the public. They felt that they had no other choice and that they were competing against other athletes who have had doping issues in the past and they felt that needed to be highlighted,” he said.

“They had every right to do that.”