Sprinter posts world’s second best 60m time but will not make demands
Published Date: 02 February 2009
By Phil Casey
DWAIN Chambers will rule himself out of British relay squads if any of the team object to his presence.
Chambers is barred from running in most meetings following his two-year ban for testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003. However, he is free to compete in major championships outside the Olympics, including this year’s World Championships in Berlin.
The 30-year-old would like to compete in the 4x100metres relay as well as the individual 100m, but acknowledges he may not be welcomed with open arms. One likely team-mate, Craig Pickering, was an outspoken critic of Chambers’ failed attempt to overturn his Olympic ban last year, and was no more enthusiastic about the prospect of being handed a baton by him either. “It’s not my decision. If he’s put in a relay team I have to deal with that,” Pickering said after winning the 60m in Saturday’s Aviva International in Glasgow. “I have no decision over who is put in the team. My job is to run in a relay.”
Chambers himself said yesterday: “I would like to run in the relay if the chance presents itself, but it’s going to be difficult. The camaraderie needs to be established and I haven’t had that opportunity. We need to have a team spirit, if there are egos and attitudes it’s not going to work. It’s got to be four guys working together. If people are going to have a problem with me I won’t participate.”
Chambers has few chances to participate in races either before the European Indoors or World Championships, admitting his requests to race promoters receive no response. But he is more hopeful of a response from Charles van Commenee when the Dutchman officially begins his role as head coach of UK Athletics on 9 February.
“I’m sure we will be communicating, but I don’t know what to expect,” added Chambers. “He said he accepts me back, I just have to find out what role he expects me to play. I’ve sent out a few requests to race promoters, but no responses. It’s the same as last year, but I’m in a better place mentally.”
While Pickering won the 60 metres for Great Britain clocking 6.57 seconds at the Kelvin Hall, just 0.02secs outside his personal best, Chambers, banned from competing in Glasgow because it is part of the EuroMeetings group of events which excludes athletes with drug violations, went even quicker in Birmingham.
Chambers, competing in the low-key Birmingham Games more usually aimed at club athletes, ran 6.59 in his heat, 6.52 in the semi-finals and 6.54 in winning the final at the National Indoor Arena. The 30-year-old’s semi-final time was the second quickest in the world this year- just 0.01 slower than American Mike Rodgers in the Millrose Games on Friday night- while 6.54 in the final equalled the time which won him world indoor silver in Valencia last year. “I had a point to prove and I think I did that,” said Chambers.
Last year Pickering spoke out about Chambers’ return to athletics after his two-year ban, insisting drugs cheats should face a lifetime ban. And the 22-year-old feels that was a major factor in a disappointing season which culminated in the botched baton exchange in the 4x100m relay at the Olympics in Beijing. “I got involved too much last year, which was a mistake of mine because it’s something I believe in, but this year I’m just shutting up,” said Pickering. “He’s one of the athletes I’ve got to beat. If I have a good day and he has an off day I may have a chance. It was getting personal but I’m a professional and I can’t beat people who aren’t here.
“I’m pleased with (my performance in Glasgow] and I think there’s a bit more to come. My PB is 6.55 so with a bit of race sharpness we’ll be looking at 6.53. I’ll need to run that because there are people running quicker than me.”
The other highlight on the track in Glasgow was a new British record of seven minutes 40.99 seconds for Mo Farah in the 3,000m, knocking 0.10s off John Mayock’s time set in February 2002. That was worth a total of $9,000 to the Somalia-born 25-year-old.
He said: “That was a great start to the indoor season, I knew I was in good shape but not that good. To break the British record is a real bonus, I never expected that.”
Andy Turner was second in the 60m hurdles and admitted he is “running angry” after recently failing in his third appeal to win back lottery funding. “I want to go out every race and prove that I’m not too old.”
In the women’s race, American star Lolo Jones overcame a false start to win in 7.95, ahead of Britain’s Sarah Claxton. “I’m relieved to get a race under my belt, especially after the false start,” said Jones, who memorably hit the penultimate hurdle in the Olympic final to ruin what looked a certain gold in Beijing. “I never false start so that was shocking to me. I was surprised by the time because I didn’t think it was a very clean race.”
In a match won by the Commonwealth Select team ahead of Britain, Germany, the United States and Sweden, Greg Rutherford set a new indoor PB of 7.91m in the long jump, but Steve Lewis managed just 5.35m in the pole vault, 40cm down on his personal best set earlier this month.
In the women’s 1,500m there was an impressive victory too for Susan Scott in her home city. “I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I just need to improve my tactics at 1,500 metres.
“With every race you get more experience, but it was good to get the first one out of the way this year.”
Scott is now turning her attention towards achieving the qualifying time for next month’s European Indoor Championship in Turin.
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