Athletics: No silver lining for Dwain Chambers

Mar 10 2008 Western Mail

DWAIN CHAMBERS’ silver medal at the World Indoor Championships has done nothing to alter UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins’ opinion of the sprinter or his selection for Valencia.

Chambers clocked a lifetime best of 6.54 seconds in the 60m to share second place with former world 100m champion Kim Collins behind Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba.

But UKA chief Collins stands by his original objection to selecting Chambers because of his two-year ban for doping offences – a stance deemed illegal by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

“I think exactly the same when I picked him; I am pleased for Dwain, but I am disappointed I was not able to pick one of our up-and-coming sprinters – and I wish bans for drug cheats were longer,” he said.

“The way the rules are structured he does deserve a second chance – that is not what I think, but that is what the rules are.

“I think the rules should be changed; I would like to see a life ban for serious doping offences.

“The biggest disappointment to me is we are sitting here third in the medals table in Valencia and we are focusing on one.”

Collins also refused to be drawn on the possibility of a future role for Chambers advising other athletes about the dangers of drug use.

“I think there would be pros and cons with it,” he added.

“Having a variety of people to speak to with experience could be useful, but that is for other people to decide.”

Chambers’ future in athletics received another setback after the Euromeetings consortium recommended their members refuse former drug cheats a start at their meetings.

Euromeetings’ spring assembly in Valencia, with around half of the 51 meeting promoters present, unanimously agreed to exclude drug cheats who could cause negative publicity from participating .

However, they backed off from imposing the decision as a cartel, believing if they do it on an individual basis there will be less threat of legal action. “We discussed athletes back from two or more years ban and since 2003,” said Euromeetings president Rajne Soderberg.

Effectively that could mean a total blackout imposed on Chambers, who tested positive for tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) five years ago and served the mandatory two-year punishment.

Chambers may feel some meetings will jump ship and offer him invitations – as has happened in the past, notably with Marion Jones. But with the sport’s reputation spotlighted for the wrong reasons, it will be surprising if it happens in the future.

Indeed, the big meetings in London, Stockholm and Zurich will no longer invite any offender who has served a two-year ban or longer.

The Bislett Games in Oslo already does so, believing it has the right to decide who competes there, and there has never been a challenge to its decision.

It will be a further blow to Chambers, who is hoping to resume his comeback after the success of winning the 60m silver medal on Friday.

Chambers, after his superb performance in Valencia, firmly has the bit between his teeth to continue and achieve more success at global level.

The 29-year-old Londoner will almost certainly this week take legal action to attempt a return to Olympic competition in Beijing this summer.

It is understood, after meeting with his lawyers, he will contest a British Olympic Association regulation banning former drug offenders from representing the UK.

Patrick Magyar, the meet director of the Weltklasse in Zurich, expressed little support for Chambers, well aware he earned more than £200,000 in prize money when cheating.

Magyar said, “I don’t know Dwain Chambers, but I know he has made money from the sport. I don’t think he can expect much sympathy from promoters because he has harmed the sport.”

Meanwhile, Phillips Idowu smashed the British triple jump record to win gold at the championships last night. Idowu leapt a huge world-leading mark for the year of 17.75m in the second round, which was never approached by David Giralt and Nelson Evora, the silver and bronze medallists.