Beijing slot left open for Chambers

A PLACE has been left open for Dwain Chambers in the British athletics team at next month's Olympic Games, after officials named only one 100 metres sprinter for the trip to Beijing.

Chambers, who failed a drugs test five years ago, was omitted from the list of 48 track and field athletes released yesterday by the British Olympic Association, ahead of a hearing on Thursday where the athlete will ask a judge to grant an injunction against his lifetime Olympic ban.

Victory in the National Championships at the weekend would normally have guaranteed Chambers' selection for the Olympics, but the 30-year-old is banned from representing Britain at future Games after testing positive for the steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) in 2003. The only athlete named so far in the 100m is Simeon Williamson, who finished second behind Chambers in the trials.

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins was keen to play down the impact the Chambers issue was having, insisting Britain's sprinters were being given extra time to stake a claim for selection before this weekend's final deadline.

Collins said: "What we've done is what we've actually done in previous years and what we've done in a number of other events.

"The men's 100m, the women's 100m, the women's 800m, for example, we've got so much talent, we want to give them every chance.

"What we've done is to go for the athlete who is eligible and has made a clear case for selection – and that's Simeon.

"Of course, there are currently five other athletes at least who are in with a shout. We'll give them until midnight on the 18th, which was always the closing date for selection standards."

Collins was also keen to stress that were Chambers to win Thursday's case, he would not be made to feel a pariah on the team.

"If he's on the team, my board and my chair are already on record as saying he will be treated the same as any other athlete," Collins said.

"People don't get on with each other for a variety of reasons but we're part of the same team, we're part of Team GB.

"We're going to support each other to get the best medal haul we possibly can."

As the country's fastest sprinter, Chambers could also expect to be an automatic selection for Britain's defence of their 4x100m relay title.

But although Collins accepted the rules meant he would have to be in the squad, he claimed there was no guarantee of a place in the final four.

"If he's eligible and he's elected, he would obviously have been named in the relay," Collins said. "It doesn't mean he has to run.

"The important thing to recognise about the relay is how many different factors there are. Not wishing to be disrespectful to our four guys in Athens but, clearly, the fastest four men did not win the gold medal there."

Chambers' hearing was due to be held tomorrow, but it was put back 24 hours at the BOA's request in order to allow their chairman, Lord Moynihan, to attend.

Scottish representation in the team is at its lowest ever level, with only a single Scot named yesterday. Lee McConnell will run in the 400m, Hayley Haining is on stand-by should marathon runner Paula Radcliffe fail to prove her fitness, and Susan Scott has so far failed to convince the selectors of her claim on a place in the 1,500m.

Scotland's tally of athletes in the British team has been on the slide for decades, but just one selection marks a new low after sending five athletes to Athens four years ago.