Athletics: Chambers Set for Comeback

Dwain Chambers is set to return to action at the British Grand Prix meeting here tomorrow after a last-minute deal was thrashed out with the International Association of Athletics Federations under which the sprinter will make a 20% down-payment on the £120,000 that the federation is demanding from him of the prize money and appearance money he earned while on performance-enhancing drugs.

It is a depressing sign of how little talent there is in Britain at the moment that there is so much interest in the return of a man who has publicly admitted achieving his best performances, including winning the European 100 metres title and setting a UK record, with the use of anabolic steroids.

Chambers, who last raced in September 2003, would have been eligible to come back to competition six months ago if he had not admitted during an interview with the BBC that he had been using the designer steroid THG for a year before he was caught and banned for two years.

After several days of negotiations between Chambers' representative Cubie Seegobin, a Guyanese-born, California-based agent, and the IAAF lawyers, the world governing body announced yesterday the 28-year-old Londoner was free to compete. "The IAAF can confirm that the [part of the] prize money and appearance money it required Dwain Chambers to repay prior to his return to competition has now been received," ran a statement on its website.

Fast Track, who organise major international events on behalf of UK Athletics, insisted Chambers would not receive an appearance fee for his comeback race. "He will be competing for prize money only," said a spokesman. The 100m at Gateshead carries a £4,000 cheque for the winner.

Subject to clearance from UK Athletics, the 28-year-old Chambers will line up against the joint world record holder Asafa Powell in the 100m tomorrow. With Jason Gardener, last year's top-ranked UK sprinter, pulling out of the meeting with injury, a good performance at Gateshead would almost certainly earn Chambers a place in Britain's team for the European Cup in Malaga later this month.

Chambers has been training in Jamaica under a new coach, Glen Mills, who also works with the former world 100m champion Kim Collins - another expected to be in tomorrow's line-up - and the Jamaican 200m runner Usain Bolt.

Meanwhile Powell, who has been preparing in Gateshead since Tuesday, has set his sights on breaking Chambers' meeting record of 10.05sec - and he does not expect to face much opposition from Britain's sprinters in his attempt, even if Chambers does run.

The 23-year-old Jamaican observed: "I think the British sprinters are getting a little bit too comfortable. They need to continue working hard and not let the recognition [of their Olympic 4x100m golds] and whatever else they are getting, stop them focusing."

Turning to his expectations for tomorrow, Powell said: "I'm looking to staying under ten seconds and, having had a good look at the track, there's no reason why I can't do it at the weekend. I expect to win all my races and I expect to run fast times and it will be no different here."