CHAMBERS COULD FIGHT BOA BAN
Dwayne Chambers could take his fight against his lifetime Olympic ban to the High Court, according to lawyer Nick Collins.
Under British Olympic Association (BOA) regulations Chambers is banned for life from competing in the Olympic Games after testing positive for the banned substance THG in 2003.
The deadline for Chambers to appeal his BOA suspension elapsed on Friday but Collins has claimed that Chambers may opt to take the BOA to the High Court. Chambers would be the first athlete ever to take the BOA to the High Court if he chose to.
Collins told BBC Radio 5 live: "An appeal may be to the BOA or straight to the High Court."
"There was a deadline set by the BOA to appeal against their ban which ran out on Friday (15 February), but we were only given very short notice of that," said Collins.
"I was with Dwain and we had a long and productive meeting and he is in very good spirits and is not going to rush into any decision regarding his appeal.
"Dwain is focused on his training and on competing in Valencia and he wants to do well for his country."
Chambers has been controversially selected for the Great Britain World Indoor Championships squad, a selection that has caused outrage amongst fellow athletes and UK Athletics themselves, who admitted that they were unable to prevent Chambers from competing.
UK Athletics have previously gone on record as saying:
"The committee was unanimous in its desire not to select Dwain," read the statement.
"Taking him to the World Indoors deprives young, upwardly mobile, committed athletes of this key development opportunity.
"Our World Class Performance Programme is focused on achievement at Olympic and World level.
"On this basis, it is extremely frustrating to leave young athletes at home; eligible for Beijing, in possession of the qualifying standard and committed to ongoing participation in a drug-free sport.
"In contrast, we have to take an individual whose sudden return, especially when considered against his previous actions and comments, suggests that he may be using the whole process for his own ends.
"Unfortunately, the committee felt that the selection criteria pertaining to the winner of the trials, coupled with the manner of Dwain's performance, left them no room to take any other decision.
"We wish all the selected athletes well at the event but will certainly explore ways in which future selections can be made to match the true 'spirit' of our sport."
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