Athletics: Campbell Turns His Back on Victorious Team-mates As Protest Sours Britain's Sole Gold

Darren Campbell refused to join his team-mates on a lap of honour after the 4x100 metres team won Britain's only gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in the Ullevi Stadium last night in a protest against Dwain Chambers.

The 32-year-old Sale runner, wearing a British vest for the last time before retiring, had not wanted Chambers included in the team following his two-year ban for taking the anabolic steroid THG and subsequent admission that he had been using the drug in 2002, which had recently led to Britain to being stripped of the gold medal they had won in Munich.

Campbell shook only Marlon Devonish's hand at the end and waved away Chambers and Mark Lewis-Francis, another athlete to have previously tested positive for drugs and who had been involved in a fight earlier in the week on the training track here with Tim Abeyie, a training partner of Campbell's.

The tension between the four members of the team was also clearly visible on the podium when they received their gold medals. Campbell also referred to "accusations" about him that he refused to elaborate on. "What is there to say?" said Campbell afterwards. "There's your gold. If that's what the sport is about, there's the gold. Celebrate, celebrate. I've made my situation clear. I just can't take the rubbish any more. I'm not a hypocrite. How can I do a lap of honour?"

Campbell is also upset that leading figures from the sport, including Paula Radcliffe, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram, have criticised Linford Christie, who was last week named as a mentor by UK Athletics despite having also previously tested positive for banned anabolic steroids.

Campbell's behaviour was attacked by Michael Johnson, the world record holder for 200m and 400m who was working for the BBC here. "If he feels strongly, really strongly, about something, let's not hear about 'certain accusations', let's hear about who it is," Johnson said. "Because people at home are wondering what's going on and wanting to know what the problem is. Obviously there is one."

It summed up Britain's week at these championships that the one gold medal they have won should attract such controversy. Adding to the embarrassment for UK Athletics is that Campbell is due to travel to Beijing this week for the World Junior Championships as an ambassador.