Michael Carruth did it in last his professional fight against Adrian Stone and now a British judo competitor has committed the same mortal sin - failing to make the required fighting weight.

After years of preparation, Debbie Allan was prevented from competing in the games after failing to make the weight in the 52 kg competition. Allan actually resorted to cutting off her hair in a desperate effort to lose a few grams. Even after it was discovered the official scales had been tampered with, the European gold medallist's attempts failed.