Banned Chambers To File High Court Appeal

Scandal-hit sprinter Dwain Chambers will file papers in the High Court today against the British Olympic Association in a bid to overturn his ban from competing in the Olympics.

Chambers will make a High Court challenge to the BOA’s bylaw which bans athletes who have failed drugs tests.

Last week Chambers easily ran the 100m qualifying time for Beijing and, should his appeal succeed, it will be impossible to prevent him competing in the British Olympic trials in Birmingham in two weeks.

Chambers’ Leeds-based solicitor Nick Collins said the relevant paperwork would be delivered by hand to the court ‘to speed things up’.

Chambers, who served a two-year ban after testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003, is favourite to win the trials after running the fastest 100m by a British athlete this year when he recorded 10.05 seconds in Sofia earlier this week.

But in order for him to make it to Beijing his barrister, Jonathan Crystal, will need to convince the court that the BOA regulation is unlawful.

The BOA’s bylaw imposes life bans on any athlete who fails a drug test unless there are mitigating circumstances.

The BOA is committed to naming its team for Beijing before 20 July, so any appeal has less than two weeks to succeed.

In a statement the BOA said they would ‘vigorously and unequivocally defend its lifetime ban on drug cheats who have bought themselves and their sports into disrepute’.

Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Steve Redgrave are among more than 100 athletes who have signed a petition supporting the BOA’s stance.