Dwain Chambers
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Dwain Anthony Chambers (born 5 April 1978 in London) is a British sprinter.
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[edit] Initial career
Chambers showed enormous promise as a junior, winning the 100 metres and sprint relay gold in the 1995 European Juniors and setting a new world junior record at the same event in 1997. However he failed to live up to his early promise on the world stage, not managing to take centre stage after the departure of Maurice Greene.
In the 2002 Commonwealth Games he limped off the track with cramp mid-race.
[edit] Drugs Ban
In October 2003, Chambers was revealed to have tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). He was given a two year ban by UK Athletics after a disciplinary hearing on 22 February 2004. Chambers' coach, Remi Korchemny, is one of four men from the BALCO lab, currently under investigation in the United States on charges of distributing illegal drugs to athletes. The UK 4x100 metres relay team, on which Chambers ran the anchor leg, were stripped of their silver medals from the 2003 World Championships as a consequence of Chambers' drug ban.
His perceived arrogance and apparent flaunting of his muscular physique to intimidate led many journalists to suggest his career was over and that "he would not be missed."[1]
[edit] Life during the ban
Chambers had been considering a switch to American Football prior to the actual ban[2], but in the event his tryout with the San Francisco 49ers came to nothing. In May 2004, he appeared on the British reality show Hell's Kitchen.
On May 26, 2006, the IAAF asked him to return all the money he earned in 2003 (assumed to be close to £180,000) before he could return to competition. The IAAF also stripped him of his European gold medal and annulled his British record, recorded prior to his positive test but within the timeframe during which he admitted using THG. (The European record had already been broken; Francis Obikwelu of Portugal ran 9.86 in the Athens 2004 Olympics He currently lies second on the British and third on the European all time lists with 9.97 which he ran in 2001.
[edit] Post Ban
He made his return in June 2006 competing in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Gateshead. In the 100 m final he finished in a very respectable 3rd in 10.07 seconds, behind Asafa Powell who equalled his own World record.
In the 100 metres at 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg Chambers carded 10.24 (First Round) 10.39 (Second Round) 10.25 (Semi Final) and 10.24 (Final - fifth overall), all well below his personal and season best. However Chambers was part of the victorious British 4x100m team.
[edit] References
- ^ [1] The Strut Turns To Dust, Daily Telegraph, 25 February 2004
- ^ [2] BBC news report
