Door open for drug cheat Chambers to mentor GB stars
THE head coach of UK Athletics has opened the door for Dwain Chambers to act as an ‘adviser’ to Britain’s stars after hailing the reformed drug cheat’s ‘story of redemption’. As revealed by Mail Sport, Chambers will be thrust back into the spotlight today when he races in the 60 metres at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham at the age of 45. The 2010 world indoor champion announced his retirement in 2017 but he is back racing domestically and broke the over-45s world 60m record with 6.81sec last month. Chambers, who was given a two-year doping ban in 2004, also coaches at his own academy and goes into schools to talk about the dangers of drug-taking.
Asked if he could be brought in to speak to the British squad, UKA interim head coach Paula Dunn said: ‘I don’t rule anything out. Sometimes the best person to give the message is the one who has suffered through some consequences. So it is not off the table. Long term, it could be something that could be useful. ‘Currently, we wouldn’t employ a coach who has served a drugs ban. The board would have to change their policies on it. But as an adviser and as a speaker to athletes in the areas that he talks in at the moment, then he could be useful.
‘He is really honest. He has done lots of workshops telling youngsters about the dangers and how you must stay focused without taking shortcuts. ‘It’s a story of redemption. He got caught, he owned up to it and he has tried to make the best of the situation. If he can educate people about the pitfalls, that is a bonus.’ Chambers will be competing against sprinters half his age in the 60m heats at the UK Indoors, which act as trials for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. He remains the British 60m record holder despite winning the last of his five national indoor titles in 2012. ‘The reality is he’s not going to qualify for the World Indoors,’ said Dunn. ‘I don’t think he has aspirations for that, but he’s running very well for someone in his mid-40s. ‘Some people just enjoy keeping fit and competing. He obviously feels he has more to give and wants to reach his full potential at the age of 45.’ Dunn also admitted UKA are in the dark about the doping scandal involving a male British Olympian. In court papers filed in the US, an unnamed UK track-and-field star was alleged to have been given banned drugs by an American therapist before the Tokyo Games. The Athletics Integrity Unit are said to be investigating.