You are in > manchester.com  > News > Chambers' career not over

Athletics

Chambers' career not over

21/12/2006

Disgraced British sprinter Dwain Chambers has been thrown an athletics lifeline by UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins.

Chambers, who is currently pursuing a career in American football, has previously said he would not want to go back to track and field competition.

However, Collins insists that if Chambers does want to seek a future with the British sprint team, he would have no hesitation in selecting him again if he meets the criteria.

"His conviction is now spent," Collins said. "Would I pick him? Yes, I would.

"I would suggest that everything is on hold for the moment as he is pursuing a new line and we'll have to see where that leads."

Collins specified that Chambers would need to fulfil the "stringent testing procedures and other commitments" required of elite athletes but confirmed that the fact he had been banned from the Olympics for life would not stand in the way of him competing in other meetings, such as the World Championships next year.

The 28-year-old speedster is currently competing at a training camp in the United States for a place on the roster of an NFL Europe team next season – a common route for non-American athletes to make the full NFL.

Chambers was banned from athletics for two years in February 2004 for using the banned steroid THG and was widely chastised upon his return at the European Championships in Gothenburg earlier this year.

Darren Campbell, a team-mate of Chambers in the gold-medal-winning 4x100m relay team, famously refused to celebrate with Chambers because of his doping offence.


© Adfero Ltd