Chambers ponders Olympic ban challenge

Dwain Chambers is considering launching a bid to have his Olympic lifetime ban lifted.

Chambers has already won his battle to compete for Great Britain in next month's World Indoor Championships in Valencia with UK Athletics reluctantly forced to select him to avoid a legal challenge.

Now Chambers, who served a two-year ban after testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003, could be ready to switch his focus to a challenge against the British Olympic Association byelaw which bans athletes who fail drugs test from competing in subsequent Olympic Games.

If Chambers, who secured his World Indoors place by winning last weekend's 60 metres trial in Sheffield, does lodge an appeal with the BOA it is bound to be rejected given the seriousness of his offence.

Indeed Lord Colin Moynihan, the BOA chairman, earlier this month warned: "We would vigorously defend any legal challenge to the anti-doping bye-law".

Chambers, should an appeal to the BOA for reinstatement fail, has the right to have it referred at his own financial expense to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

But that process could be a lengthy one and he could opt instead to proceed directly to the High Court.

Chambers knows that if he is to have any chance of competing in the British Olympic trials and UK Championships from July 11-13 in Birmingham he must set the ball rolling now.