UNFORTUNATELY, enjoyment of the Olympic Games often requires something that one associates with screen or theatrical drama, or fiction: a suspension of disbelief.

Four years after he climbed to the top of Olympic achievement, Michael Phelps took the last step he needed to reach the absolute peak.

Drugs cheats at London 2012 will be caught but athletes who put in world record-breaking performances should be given the benefit of the doubt, the Olympics’ world body said yesterday.

A senior figure in the London 2012 Games has warned against "irresponsible" and "destructive" judgment of the Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen after a leading coach described her world-record breaking race as "disturbing".

John Leonard, the executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association, last night compared Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen’s winning performance in the women’s 400m individual medley to Irish swimmer Michelle Smith.