Chambers misses out in latest attempt to qualify for Beijing
Sunday, 15 Jun 2008 14:59
Dwain Chambers was forced to run into a strong headwind in all three of his races at the South of England championships at Crystal Palace
Troubled sprinter Dwain Chambers has failed in his latest bid to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.
Chambers won the Southern Counties Championships in 10.24 seconds yesterday, which is 0.03 seconds short of the official 'A' standard.
The 30-year-old is banned from competing in China in August by the British Olympic Association (BOA), after his two-year drugs ban.
Chambers hopes to achieve the qualifying time before launching an appeal. His next race is expected to be in Germany on July 5th, with the British Olympic trials a week later.
The sprinter said the strong headwinds hampered his bid to make the qualifying time yesterday.
"The wind was swinging around and around, but not in my favour, for whatever reason that was," Chambers said.
"It shows that I am in 10.1 shape, or even 10.0, if you turn the wind around. I will get there.
"Today has proved that I just have to deal with some unforeseen circumstances," he added.
Chambers failed to make the 'A' standard time earlier this month after clocking 10.26 on his return in Greece and then running 10.28 in Birmingham on June 8th.
The British Olympic Association must name its team for Beijing by July 20, giving Chambers just a week to launch an appeal against his ban from the Beijing Olympics.
Chambers tested positive for the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) in 2003, one of seven banned substances he was taking at the time.