Dwain Chambers Loses Olympic Appeal

British sprinter Dwain Chambers has failed in his bid to overturn the ban which prohibits him from running in the Beijing Olympics.

Thirty-year-old Chambers attended a High Court hearing today, in an attempt to secure an injunction against the British Olympic Association (BOA) bylaw that bans British athletes who have failed dope tests from being selected for the Games.

In 2003 the English sprinter, of Jamaican descent, was given a two-year ban from international competition after testing positive for the steroid THG.

Chambers claims the suspension - an effective lifetime ban from the Olympics - is a restraint of trade.

Jonathan Crystal, representing the athlete, earlier commented: "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."

However, Mr Justice Mackay refused to grant the injunction, saying Chamber's right to work was not a good enough reason to overturn the ban.

David Pannick QC, representing the BOA said the bylaw was not ruled legal, yet Chambers was seeking an order which would mean the Olympic Association would be required to select him despite this.

He said: "He cannot show that sportsmen and women are significantly restrained in their trade by the bylaw which only concerns eligibility for an amateur event, which takes place once every four years and for which there is no prize money."

He added: "If the court were to make an order requiring the claimant to be selected, that would deprive another athlete of his place in the team, even though the legality of the rule may be upheld at a full trial.

"There is no basis for preferring the interests of the claimant over the interests of that other competitor."

Dwain Chambers won the 100m in 10.00 seconds at the British trials last Saturday to achieve the required qualifying time for Beijing.

(JM/CD)