Dwain Chambers thunders to 60m world indoor gold in Doha
AthleticsSummer SportsPost a comment
Posted: Saturday 13th March 2010 | 15:47
From David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Doha
HE may polarise opinion but when it comes to 60m sprinting, Dwain Chambers is a gold medal magnet and the British sprinter romped to victory at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha.
TOP OF THE WORLD: Dwain Chambers bulldozes his way to world indoor gold to add to his European indoor title (Getty Images)
The 31-year-old roared across the line in 6.48 seconds to put the finishing touches to his performance, which has been his to lose, ever since announcing his presence in Doha with his imperious form in the Middle East.
While the clock may say otherwise, Chambers did not save his best for last and he did have to dig deep under intense pressure from the USA’s Mike Rodgers, but the Brit was in no mood to let the title slip through his fingers.
It has not always been the case for the controversial sprinter but these days Chambers, an accepted member of the British squad, does his talking on the track.
And with his victory in Doha, an upgrade from his silver medal from Valencia two years ago and the perfect foil for the European gold he won in Turin last year, Chambers spoke volumes.
“I wasn’t sure, when I was out of competitions, that I would ever be able to get back to what I am now,” admitted Chambers, who was banned for two years in 2004 after being found guilty of taking an anabolic steroid.
"It has been a long road but I am proud of what I have done and I am a little relieved as well.
"I think the competition helped, it was really tough out there, but a lot of it was down to my ability to stay calm, which comes with experience.
"The heats and the semi-final were quite easy so I was a little worried that something wasn’t going right and that I would have a bad surprise.
“Mike came up alongside me and I started to think about what was going on but then I said to myself ‘just win it’ and that is what I ended up doing.”
Silver went to Rodgers, who crossed the line a 0.05 off the pace while Daniel Bailey of Antigua wrapped up bronze in 6.57.
Chambers’ cause was helped by the absence of the USA’s Ivory Williams who has been reprimanded with a three-month ban for testing positive for marijuana at the US Trials.
Williams clocked 6.49 at the US Trials last month, 0.01 faster than Chambers’ fastest time but the Brit does have a personal best of 6.42 and for once, the Brit was simply happy to be on the periphery of the doping controversy.
And any doubt as to Williams’ absence was expunged as Chambers clocked the fastest time in the world this year.
Chambers has spoken at length about his mental preparation for the World Indoor Championships and while some corners of the British set-up are not whole-heartedly welcoming, he feels more at home among his compatriots than he has done for years.
And on the track it shows. Last year he clinched European indoor gold in a whirlwind of anger and frustration but Chambers having secured victory in Doha is now on top of the world.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 60m hurdles, Lolo Jones for once saved her best for the final to storm to victory and defend her crown in 7.72 seconds - the third fastest time in history.
The American squeezed through her semi final having hit an early hurdle but she was in impeccable form to keep Canadian rival Priscilla Lopes-Schliep at bay.
Lopes-Schliep had been the form athlete throughout the heats but she was forced to settle for bronze, coming home in 7.87, just 0.01 behind silver medallist Perdita Felicien, also of Canada.
And in the men’s long jump, Australia’s Fabrice LaPierre continued his excellent qualifying form to take gold with a best leap of 8.17m, while silver went to South Africa’s Godfrey Mokoena with a season’s best effort of 8.08m, and Mitchell Watt took bronze, a further three centimetres short.
Live commentary from day two of the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha