British sprinter’s rollercoaster career has seen him go from disgraced drug cheat to someone who now receives admiration, affection and applause
At the UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield in 2008, Dwain Chambers was booed in some quarters as he returned from his well-publicised doping ban. Niels de Vos, the chief executive of UK Athletics at the time, called for him to be banned from the GB team and the headline on the front of AW that week screamed: “Chambers of horrors!”
Sixteen years later, the 45-year-old received one of the warmest applauses of the day at the same national championships – this time at a sell-out Utilita Arena in Birmingham – as he qualified from his heat for the semi-finals of the men’s 60m before gallantly bowing out.
From jeers to cheers, Chambers has won over the crowd with his affable personality, anti-doping messages and, of course, ageless athleticism.
Not only that, he has caught the imagination of the media with Fleet Street journalists focusing on the part he might play as a coaching advisor in future GB teams. On the morning of the championships, BBC Breakfast kicked off a short preview of the event by saying he was aiming to earn selection to the team for the World Indoor Champs too.
It was wishful thinking by the BBC. Instead of trying to make the squad for Glasgow, Chambers’ true goal was to simply turn up and compete, to enjoy the occasion and maybe threaten his world M45 record of 6.81 set earlier this year.
“In my mind I’ve still got it but the body is different,” he said, “and that’s a hard thing to acknowledge.”
Dwain Chambers (Getty)
Still, his performances this winter have been extraordinary and on Saturday he was up against athletes less half his age. So what is his advice for older athletes who are toying with retirement?
“Train less and recover more,” he told AW. “It took me two years to figure that out. Now I train twice a week. My recovery between runs is longer. And for once I’ve started to work on my nutrition.
“Due to my genetic make up I never had to, but I now realise the importance of good food now and eight to ten hours sleep. Also, when my body says ‘stop’, I stop.”
Surely he has fragile areas of his body that are his current Achilles heel? He paused to consider, before replying: “Everything is working really well. The only challenge I have is my mind.
“In the past I had a chip on my shoulder and something to fight for but I don’t have to fight…
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