30 January 2008
Chambers wins backing for return
(from BBC Sport)
Dwain Chambers is eligible to challenge for a place in Britain's World Indoor Championships team, according to world athletics governing body the IAAF. Chambers, 29, has been preparing for a second return to competition after a two-year ban for drug offences.
UK Athletics insists he will not be allowed to run as he has not undergone a drugs test since November 2006. But the IAAF says his comeback meets their requirements, as they have not been notified of any formal retirement.
The sprinter tested positive for the steroid THG in 2003 but returned to help Britain to 4x100m gold at the 2006 European championships. He is targeting another comeback after his American football career ended. Chambers is planning to achieve the 60m qualifying standard of 6.90 seconds at the Birmingham Games on Saturday.
But UKA says he was removed from the testing programme in the belief that he had retired, and it has banned him from trials in Sheffield next month for the World Indoor Championship in Valencia from 7-9 March. If Chambers was to compete in Sheffield and went on to win the final in the world qualifying time of 6.65 seconds, he should theoretically be included in the Great Britain team. From an anti-doping rules perspective he is fine to continue
IAAF anti-doping manager Chris Butler
UKA chief executive Niels de Vos said: "It is only fair that, should Dwain want to return, he too should undergo the same rigorous process for a period of time prior to competing against these athletes. "The IAAF indicates a 12-month period of testing before a retired athlete is allowed to return. "A 12-month period of random, out-of-competition testing is the absolute minimum I would find acceptable before giving any consideration to facilitating Dwain Chambers' return to competitive international athletics."
However, IAAF medical and anti-doping manager Chris Butler said the athlete was free to compete "unless there is a retirement form on file at UKA which has not been passed on to the IAAF". "From an anti-doping rules perspective he is fine to continue," he said.
"The rule is in place to stop athletes claiming retirement and refusing drug testing and then coming back later."
My view:
I am disgusted with this man, his attitude and failures. And to think that he and I went to the same secondary school albeit a couple of years after me.
Dwain Chambers is eligible to challenge for a place in Britain's World Indoor Championships team, according to world athletics governing body the IAAF. Chambers, 29, has been preparing for a second return to competition after a two-year ban for drug offences.
UK Athletics insists he will not be allowed to run as he has not undergone a drugs test since November 2006. But the IAAF says his comeback meets their requirements, as they have not been notified of any formal retirement.
The sprinter tested positive for the steroid THG in 2003 but returned to help Britain to 4x100m gold at the 2006 European championships. He is targeting another comeback after his American football career ended. Chambers is planning to achieve the 60m qualifying standard of 6.90 seconds at the Birmingham Games on Saturday.
But UKA says he was removed from the testing programme in the belief that he had retired, and it has banned him from trials in Sheffield next month for the World Indoor Championship in Valencia from 7-9 March. If Chambers was to compete in Sheffield and went on to win the final in the world qualifying time of 6.65 seconds, he should theoretically be included in the Great Britain team. From an anti-doping rules perspective he is fine to continue
IAAF anti-doping manager Chris Butler
UKA chief executive Niels de Vos said: "It is only fair that, should Dwain want to return, he too should undergo the same rigorous process for a period of time prior to competing against these athletes. "The IAAF indicates a 12-month period of testing before a retired athlete is allowed to return. "A 12-month period of random, out-of-competition testing is the absolute minimum I would find acceptable before giving any consideration to facilitating Dwain Chambers' return to competitive international athletics."
However, IAAF medical and anti-doping manager Chris Butler said the athlete was free to compete "unless there is a retirement form on file at UKA which has not been passed on to the IAAF". "From an anti-doping rules perspective he is fine to continue," he said.
"The rule is in place to stop athletes claiming retirement and refusing drug testing and then coming back later."
My view:
I am disgusted with this man, his attitude and failures. And to think that he and I went to the same secondary school albeit a couple of years after me.
# posted by Ollie Jones @ 12:12 
