Dwain Chambers, GBR

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Full Name: Dwain Anthony Chambers

Born: 5th April 1978 (Islington, London)
Sex:  Male
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 83kg
Event: Sprints
Club: Belgrave Harriers
Coach: Remi Korchemny
Family: Older sister Christine Chambers was 8th at 100m and 5th 4x100m at the 1987 European Juniors.
Sponsors: Adidas

Personal Bests:

Outdoors: (wind)      
50m  (+) 5.57 22 Aug 1999 Seville, Spain
60m   6.62 15 Sept 2000 Gold Coast, Australia
60m (+) 6.41 22 Aug 1999 Seville, Spain
100m   9.87 14 Sept 2002 Paris, France
200m   20.27 10 Jun 2002 Athens, Greece
Indoors:        
50m (+) 5.69 13 Feb 2000 Lievin, France
60m   6.55 11 Feb 2000 Ghent, Belgium
200m   21.10 9 Feb 2000 Piraeus, Greece

1994

Dwain  was English Schools Intermediates champion at 100m. 

1995

Dwain won gold medals at both 100m and sprint relay at the European Juniors.

1997

Dwain won gold medals at both 100m and sprint relay at the European Juniors, when, from a previous PB of 10.32/10.27w, he ran 10.06 to win the 100m. This was a World Junior Record, the first by a British sprinter since Peter Radford in 1958.

1998

Dwain had a splendid season in 1998, when he took the European silver medal and placed 3rd in the World Cup at 100m, although his time of 10.03 in Johannesburg was aided by high altitude and a rolling start.

1999

On 12 June 1999 in Nuremberg he was 2nd to Bruny Surin at 100m - in 9.99, thus becoming the second European sprinter to break the 10-second barrier. He then won for Britain at the European Cup and produced a series of fast times at 100m, including a brilliant win in 10.05 in cold weather at Gateshead, 10.07w when 2nd at the AAAs, 10.04 for 3rd at the British Grand Prix, and finally another best, 9.97, for the bronze medal at the World Championships.

2000

Although he declined selection for the European Indoors in 2000, Dwain was Britain's second fastest of the year at 60m at 6.55. He was back in top form outdoors at the AAAs, where he won the 100m title in 10.11, despite a -0.8 m/s wind and had a brilliant victory over a top field including Maurice Greene at Gateshead, running 10.11 into a headwind. He improved his year's best to 10.08 in the Olympic final when he placed fourth.

2001

He had a great season at 100m in 2001 from his win at the European Clubs Cup in 10.12 to a commanding win at the Goodwill Games (10.11 with a head-wind). Other highlights included his 10.01 win at Seville, 10.00 for 3rd in Lausanne and 10.01 to win the AAAs, the fastest ever time with an allowable wind by a British athlete in Britain. At the World Championships he broke ten seconds for 100m twice, 9.97 (no wind reading) in the quarter-final and 9.99 for fifth in the final. He also made a breakthrough at 200m with 3rd in the AAAs in a personal best time of 20.65 and a brilliant win at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in 20.31.

2002

Dwain was ranked as the world number two at 100m in 2002. After a brilliant 200m PB of 20.27 in Athens, in the cool of Manchester he ran brilliantly to win the Commonwealth Trials 100m in 10.03. Appointed team captain, he led by example at the European Cup by winning the 100m in 10.04 and pulling away from the field on the anchor leg of the 4x100m. 

He then had two exhilarating wins at 100m, beating Maurice Greene on both occasions, with 10.05 in Oslo and 9.95w in Sheffield, where he was also 2nd at 200m in 20.38. His bid for 100m gold at the Commonwealth Games started well with wins in preliminary rounds in 10.19, 10.17 and 10.06, but he got off to a bad start in the final and pulled up with cramps, later attributed to lack of fluids. 

He bounced back brilliantly to take the gold medal in a championship best of 9.96 at the Europeans and added a superb run to bring the British team to gold in the 4x100m relay in a world-leading time of 38.19. 

He reduced his 100m best to 9.94 in his heat in Zürich before taking third in the final in 10.05 against the wind, and ran the first ever 'legal' sub-10 second time in Britain by a British athlete to win the 100m at the Norwich Union GP in 9.98 from the Americans Tim Montgomery and Maurice Greene. 

At last finding perfect conditions, with a tailwind on the legal limit of 2.0 m/s, he tied Linford Christie's European record of 9.87 in second place to Montgomery's world record of 9.78 at the Grand Prix Final. A week later, however, he was below par with fifth at the World Cup in 10.16.

2003

Dwain ran a disappointing 6.68 for 4th in his 60m heat at the Norwich Union Grand Prix. He improved to 6.59 for 2nd in the AAAs, but was beaten by 0.01 by Mark Lewis-Francis and thus missed a World Indoor Championships place. Outdoors he ran two 100m races in the USA: 3rd at Modesto in 10.19 and 4th at Eugene in 10.17, before mixed fortunes in major 100m races in Europe, with a best of 10.03 for 2nd in the Grand Prix at Tríkala and wins in Britain at Glasgow and Gateshead. 

He won the AAA title in superb style in 10.08, a time worth substantially under 10 seconds in favourable conditions given a strongish headwind at -1.8 m/s, and was denied a super-fast time in bizarre circumstances at the British Grand Prix.  He won the race, delayed by 20 minutes when the timing system broke, beating a top-class field, beating a top-class field, and was given a hand-timed 10.0 but this was shown as 9.96 on video analysis. 

Fourth at 100m and a silver in the 4x100m is fine, but was nonetheless a little below what might have been at the World Championships. A marginal favourite for the title after winning his semi in 10.06 and running 10.03 in his quarter-final, he just missed a medal, 4th in 10.08, in the 100m and he was run down by Joshua Johnson (USA) in the 4x100m after taking the baton in the lead on the anchor leg of the sprint relay. 

He was only 7th in Brussels but ran somewhat better for 4th in the World Athletics Final for 4th in 10.10.

However, in October Dwain tested positive for the anabolic steroid THG. READ STORY

2004

Dwain was found guilty of taking THG in February 2004. He faces a two-year ban from the sport, and a lifetime ban from competing in the Olympics. 

In April the Great Britain relay team were asked to return their silver medals.

"UK sprinters stripped of silver"

 

2005

Chambers at crossroads

Dwain Chambers

Suspended sprinter Dwain Chambers has returned to Britain to ponder the next move in his disrupted sporting career.

The European 100m champion went to the USA in July to play American football after getting a two-year athletics ban for testing positive for THG.

He joined Californian team Chabot Junior College in a bid to reach the NFL within two years.

But Briton Chambers was forced to head home when his visa expired while he was applying for a student extension.

Chambers has not given up on his NFL dream and neither has he ruled out a return to the track when his suspension runs out in November, 2005.

But he is now set to discuss a plan of action with his management company, which may involve him choosing between American football and athletics.

Chambers' agent, Mark Brodie said the 26-year-old was "in high spirits" after his spell in America.

"He loved it," said Brodie.

"It was not just a whim. He loved watching American football since he was a kid.

"He is in peak condition for both sports and wants to keep his options open."

 

I was in gutter, admits Chambers 

By Tom Fordyce
BBC Sport exclusive

Dwain Chambers

Dwain Chambers has told BBC Sport he has no-one to blame but himself after revealing that his two-year doping suspension blew his life apart.

In his first interview since being banned for taking the designer steroid THG, he said: "I was in the gutter.

"Everything I worked for since I was 14 years old had totally vanished."

The Briton is poised to race again, but he confessed: "I can only hope that the drug is out of my system and hasn't caused too much physical damage."

Chambers tested positive for THG (tetrahydrogestrinone) on 1 August 2003.

Not only was he banned for two years on 7 November that year, he was also subsequently stripped of the 4x100m relay silver medal he won at the 2003 World Championships.

Under British Olympic Association rules, he will not be allowed to compete at a future Olympic Games either.

But it could get even worse for the 27-year-old Londoner before it gets better.

He could also lose the individual and relay gold medals he won at the 2002 European Championships as well as his British record of 9.87 seconds, set in September later that year.

That is because he has also revealed to BBC Sport that he was taking THG a full 18 months before he was caught.

Chambers is philosophical about the possibility of losing more accolades.

"There's nothing I can do about it," he said.

"I've come to terms with what has happened and I'm blessed that I have the opportunity to come back and make amends.

"I don't believe THG had anything to do with the fact that I ran 9.87 seconds.

"That came about because I was in a world record race and was dragged along."

Chambers started taking THG after switching his training base to California at the start of 2002.

There he worked with veteran coach Remi Korchemny, who introduced him to Victor Conte, a self-made nutritional expert and founder of the pharmaceutical company Balco.

It was Conte who supplied Chambers with THG.

"I took THG, but I didn't know what its gains and benefits were," said the Briton.

"THG came in liquid form and you put a few drops under your tongue three to four times a week.

"I was a bit suspicious about why you would put it under your tongue, but Victor explained it was a new product on the market that would aid me nutritionally, so I went forward with it.

"Nutrition wasn't something I was interested in, so when he was explaining all this scientific jargon to me about THG and various other supplements, it came in one ear and fell out of the other.

"In hindsight I was very foolish not to ask certain questions about THG, but no-one had ever heard of it before so I didn't see any reason to question it.

"But there's nobody else I can blame, for the simple reason that I made those decisions to go forward as I did.

"Despite my suspicions, I still went forward and did it."

Conte also supplied Kelli White, the double world sprint champion who, like Chambers, was also handed a two-year doping ban.

And Conte himself is now serving a four-month prison sentence for his role in a scheme to give athletes undetectable performance-enhancing drugs.

As for Chambers, he is now focusing on a return to the track after a short-lived and unsuccessful attempt to forge a career in American Football.

He will be free to compete again when he has taken and passed three new dope tests - which is expected to happen by the end of January.

He has been training in Jamaica with Glen Mills, coach to Kim Collins - the man who beat him to Commonwealth 100m gold in 2002 and the world title a year later.

Both athlete and coach say they are very pleased with the progress made, and as a result Chambers will try to make the British team for March's World Indoor championships.

With selection for March's Commonwealth Games already decided, the obvious target after that is the defence of his European crown in Gothenburg, Sweden, in August.

"Mentally I'm fine now but I'm not sure how my body's going to cope when I get back on the track," said Chambers.

"I miss competing and that's made me determined to come back and have fun on the track again."

And he added: "I need to get some money back in my pocket because I'm broke. I have to earn a living."

He is also keen to make amends to the people he let down, particularly Marlon Devonish, Christian Malcolm and Darren Campbell, who also lost their relay silver medals because of his drugs taking.

"If there's an opportunity for me to make it up to them, I want to take it," said Chambers.

 

BBC Exclusive: Chambers comes clean 

Disgraced sprinter Dwain Chambers has told BBC Sport that his two-year doping ban wrecked his life and left him fearing for his physical health.

In his first interview since being suspended for taking the designer steroid THG, Chambers blows the lid on his role in the biggest doping scandal to ever hit athletics.

Here is the transcript of that extraordinary interview in full.

CHAMBERS ON... his emotional state

It's been a rollercoaster. I don't know if you can even imagine what I've been going through. At one stage I was in the gutter. I've had emotional problems trying to come to terms with what's happened to me.

Chambers at his initial doping hearing

Chambers received a two-year ban after testing positive for THG

I never got suicidal, but everything I had worked for since I was 14 years old had totally vanished. It's been a bit crazy. But I've had time to review my life and try to take things in my stride.

I'm starting from scratch now. I realise I can't take life for granted. I'm just trying to find myself again. 

When the ban was imposed I felt very embarrassed. I didn't know what to do, what to say, where to go. I had no-one to turn to, and everything going through my head was negative.

But I took things step by step and let time be the healer. I realised I would have to live with it. It's not the way I want people to see me - I've got a black mark against my name now as a drugs cheat.

CHAMBERS ON... how people have treated him

I've had a lot of positive responses from the public. On the other hand, certain members of the British team and the athletics world will see me as the athlete who got caught taking drugs.

That will be in the minds of a lot of people - but I can't worry about that - I have to get on with my career and earn a living for myself. I

'm not out to get their trust or forgiveness. I have to eat humble pie and start from scratch.

I need to get some money back in my pocket, because I'm broke. I have to earn a living. I miss competing, and that's made me determined to come back and have fun on the track again.

I put the sport in jeopardy and I caused uproar, and I'm very sorry for that fact. Fortunately I got out alive and I'm alive to fight another battle.

CHAMBERS ON... who was to blame for his positive test

Myself. There's nobody else I can blame, for the simple reason that I made those decisions to go forward as I did.

I took THG, but I didn't know what THG was or what its gains and benefits were. I started taking it when I went to America at the beginning of 2002.

I was young, I didn't think about life and the ups and downs that could occur. Looking back I just think 'Man'. I went into the situation blind.

I'm disappointed I didn't ask any questions. I wish I had spoken to more people and paid more attention to what was going on. Maybe then I would have seen this storm coming.

I didn't realise the depths of the work he was dealing with.

In the future, I'll be associating myself with people who can advise me positively. At the time I was advising myself, so the decision was solely mine.

I'm not out to gain anyone's trust or support. Those that will give me sympathy are those I will cling to.

CHAMBERS ON... his mistakes

I admit in hindsight I was very naïve. Going to America, my sole purpose was to work on my technique. Remi Korchemny introduced me to Victor Conte, who said he would be able to help me nutritionally.

Chambers with coach Remi Korchemny

Chambers met Victor Conte through coach Remi Korchemny (right)

Nutrition wasn't something I was interested in, so when he was explaining all this scientific jargon to me about THG and various other supplements, it came in one ear and fell out of the other.

In hindsight I was very foolish not to ask certain questions about THG, but no-one had ever heard of it before so I didn't see any reason to question it.

I didn't really care what Victor was providing me with - I just saw it as something which would help me nutritionally. So I went forward with it without thinking too much about it.

CHAMBERS ON... how he took the drug

THG came in liquid form, and you put a few drops under your tongue three to four times a week.

I was a bit suspicious why you would put it under your tongue, but Victor explained that it was a new product on the market that would aid me nutritionally, so I went forward with it.

I didn't realise Victor had so many fires burning. I was in something and I didn't realise how deep it was. I don't understand what his intentions were, why he put it on the market.

If I thought I was cheating, I would have held back on that. People who fail tests lose everything and half of them you never see them again. I didn't want to put myself in that position.

I was suspicious, but I was being tested and I wasn't coming out positive, so I turned a blind eye to it.

CHAMBERS ON... Victor Conte

Justice has been served. But I don't believe he wanted us to get caught, otherwise he would be putting our careers in jeopardy plus himself.

I don't hold him responsible - I'm the one who went forward to take these supplements.

CHAMBERS ON... what THG did to him

I didn't notice any significant increase in my performance. I ran a lot more consistently before I left for America. I was happier with my performance then.

I did notice that I put on a lot of weight and got a lot more muscular, and that's the only thing I can put it down to. I didn't have any physical changes before 2002. I was still passing my drugs tests, so any negative thoughts I had I put behind me.

I trusted Victor's word. I had no reason to doubt him. I can only hope that what I went through physically with that drug is out of my system and hasn't caused too much damage.

Mentally I'm fine now, but I'm not too sure how my body's going to cope when I get back on the track.

CHAMBERS ON... what else he took

There were a number of different supplements, but I can't recall off the top of my head. Naturally THG is the one that stands out, because that's the one I failed a drugs test for.

I did declare all the supplements I was taking and I kept passing drugs tests, so I didn't question it. I wrote down the names of the substances on the declaration list. I can't actually remember what they were - but I did declare them.

CHAMBERS ON... possibly losing his Euro golds and Brit record

There's nothing I can do about it. How much worse can it get?

Dwain Chambers with his British relay team-mates at the 2003 World Championships

Chambers and his relay team were stripped of their world silver medal

If they want to take that away from me, then fine. I've come to terms with what has happened, and I'm blessed that I have the opportunity to come back and make amends.

I don't believe THG had anything to do with the fact that I ran 9.87 seconds. That came about because I was in a world record race and was dragged along.

I went through the whole of 2002 without testing positive, and then the moment that Trevor Graham blew the whistle, I tested positive.

I was told I was taking a nutritional supplement. I had no reason to think I was doing anything illegal, because I wasn't failing any drugs tests, and Victor didn't tell me to worry about failing any tests.

I believe I'm good enough to go out there and win those titles back - it's just a matter of being patient.

CHAMBERS ON... the other athletes involved

We never had any communication about what we were doing. Victor never mentioned to me what he did with Kelli White or any other athlete he was working with.

Kelli knew a lot more than I did - she was working with Victor for a lot longer than I was. Training with her and knowing what she was doing nutritionally are two different things.

I went into the training group in 2002. When looking at her, I didn't notice her changing.

CHAMBERS ON... how he feels now

I went past the anger stage a long time ago. I was the one responsible. Despite my suspicions, I still went forward and did it.

I wanted to be successful and I felt that going to America and getting technical advice and nutritional advice was the best thing that I could do. I'm not one to hold grudges.

CHAMBERS ON... his punishment

When it first escalated, I was led to believe I was taking a lot of heat for other people.

The press went to work on me. But it was a big story that I failed a test. The tribunal case was justified - the result was justified.

It was something that needed to be done to help clean up sport. I'll go out and encourage kids to do the right thing.

CHAMBERS ON... costing his relay team-mates world silver

I was gutted. It was a team event. If there's an opportunity for me to make it up to them, I want to take it.

When I've had the chance to speak to them over the next season, hopefully we'll be able to patch things up.

CHAMBERS ON... his future

It's going well. I'm looking forward to my prospects. I'm training with the likes of Kim Collins and Usain Bolt, and although I expected a little animosity, they've welcomed me with open arms.

I've changed my mentality. I want to come back. I've stuck my two years out and I've made contact with UKA again. I believe I will be just as successful as I was in the past.

It will take a bit of time - at least a season under my belt. I'm not sure how my body will cope from being away. I have to have faith in myself. I'm doing very well. The coach doesn't see me as someone who has been out for two years.

He saw me as a rusty nail, but I'm still gleaming. I first have to get over the hurdle of getting on the track and competing - first with the British guys and then beyond that.

 

Chambers return runs into delay

British sprinter Dwain Chambers will have to wait until next year before he can return to the track.

The 27-year-old was expected to return from his two-year ban on 8 November.

But under World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) rules, Chambers must pass three mandatory drugs tests before he is allowed to compete again.

"The actual date he'll be eligible can't be specified at this time but it's anticipated it will be in early 2006," read a UK Athletics statement.

There must be a minimum of four months between each test, although the random element of the procedure means the gap can be longer.

Chambers received the two-year ban back in November 2003 after testing positive for steroid THG.

Chambers had the first of the tests in March this year and the second in August, meaning the earliest his third test could take place would be in December.

After the third test, Chambers must then undergo one final test - although there is no requirement for a four-month gap - before finally being cleared to compete.

Chambers, who is co-operating fully with the reinstatement process, had considered a career in American Football but was forced to return to the UK when his visa expired.

"Following his ban, Dwain considered a future outside of the sport and was removed from the anti-doping register at his request," continued the statement.

"In March this year he requested that he be placed back on the register and for the reinstatement process to begin.

"This delay in the start of his reinstatement procedure means that he will not be clear to compete from 8 November."

UKA's athletics performance director Dave Collins said: "We are aware of the circumstances regarding Dwain's return from the ban.

"It is essential that these procedures are followed to the letter of the law.

"Dwain knows this and is co-operating with anti-doping to ensure that there is no further delay."

 

No track return yet for Chambers

Sprinter Dwain Chambers will not make his return to the track at the Norwich Union Grand Prix on Saturday.

Former 100m European champion Chambers, 27, was banned for two years for taking the designer steroid THG in 2003.

It had been hoped he would compete in the 60m but he has still to be fully reinstated by the International Association of Athletics Federation.

Chambers' agent Richard Robson said: "He won't run until the procedures have been completed."

It would have been extremely unlikely he would have figured anyway as all lanes for the event at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham have been filled.

Chambers' suspension ended in November and he has completed the four mandatory drug tests required by the IAAF to race.

However, the IAAF wish to speak to Chambers about an interview he gave to the BBC, in which he said he was using THG at the beginning of 2002, rather than in August the following year.

He has until 21 February to contact the IAAF about the situation and Chambers has elected not to compete until the matter has been cleared up.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said: "Dwain has complied with his re-alignment requirements for the 2003 offence under IAAF rules.

"But there is a new situation of potential violation of the rules based on a interview with the BBC in December 2005.

"This continues to be investigated and we understand Dwain will not be competing until this situation has been resolved."

The revelations will not count as a second offence, which would have seen Chambers banned for life.

But it is possible he could be asked to pay back prize money he earned between the date he admits to taking the steroid and when he was caught.

 

Gateshead

 

 

Spar European Cup, Malaga

Dwain Chambers (Belgrave Harriers) shook off the weight of the media spotlight and expectation piled on his shoulders to take second in the men’s 100m to Frenchman Ronald Pognon, with 10.19 to 10.13. Chambers was pleased to be running but not so satisfied with the points.

“It is good to be here, but I’m disappointed with how I ran,” he said. “I wanted to get maximum points so it was disappointing by my expectations.”

 

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