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Chambers made to wait for High Court verdict

British sprinter Dwain Chambers will have to wait to discover if he can compete in next month’s Beijing Olympics after being told there would be no High Court ruling yesterday over his bid to get a temporary injunction against his lifetime Olympic ban.

Chambers, 30, hoped to hear that his legal team had persuaded Justice Mackay to rule that the British Olympic Association (BOA) bylaw which precludes him from selection for the Games was unfair, contrary to competition law and an unreasonable restraint on trade.

But the 100m runner, who served a two-year suspension for using the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), will now have to wait until today for the verdict as Justice Mackey confirmed there would be no immediate decision.

Chambers has already qualified to compete in the Olympic team after winning the 100m at the Olympic athletics trials in Birmingham last Saturday and setting his best time of the year of 10 seconds.

His attempt to win an injunction suspending the by-law before a full trial of the issues in March next year will be a test of the rule which bans those who have used performance-enhancing drugs from the British team unless there are mitigating circumstances.

Chambers, dressed in a suit, was in court to hear his barrister Jonathan Crystal make his case for the BOA bylaw to be overturned.

Crystal, an expert on sports law, insisted Chambers was eligible and welcome to compete next month in Beijing according to the International Olympic Committee.

“He represents our best chance of a podium finish in the 100m in Beijing,” Crystal told the court. “There would be no restriction to his selection for any other nation, save possibly Denmark and China.”

Crystal said there was no instance of a suspended athlete returning to competition being denied a chance to compete in the Olympics other than by inadequate performance.

“He demonstrated five days ago what he could achieve as a ‘clean’ athlete. No stronger message could be sent to those doping or considering it,” Crystal said.

Justice Mackay asked whether he needed to come to a decision about Chambers’ hopes of getting on to the winners’ rostrum in Beijing.

Noting that it “is cold hard fact” that nine men this year have run the 100m faster than Chambers, he asked: “Do I have to find that there is a probable case that he will win one of the three medals?”

Crystal replied: “Mr Chambers, if he does not go to Beijing, he walks into the sunset because that is how he will be seen. If he does go to Beijing, that will be a springboard for further opportunities.”
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