• Athletics World Championships

Bolt has left door open for rivals - Chambers

ESPN staff
August 23, 2011
Dwain Chambers believes Usain Bolt can be beaten © Getty Images
Enlarge

British sprinter Dwain Chambers believes Usain Bolt can be beaten in the 100 metres at the forthcoming World Championships.

Bolt, the world record holder, will be defending the sprint title he won in 2009 when the event begins in Daegu later this month. The Jamaican has not been in great form this season, however, with a fastest time of just 9.88 seconds putting him sixth in the year's list.

Chambers, who is yet to dip below 10 seconds in 2011, believes that means the 25-year-old can be beaten.

"Usain has shown this season that he is a human being," Chambers said. "But this guy has been dominant in ways that were unmanageable to us as athletes. The fact he has not been on top form does not put any doubts in my mind.

"He's still the number one contender. He's run 9.58 [in the 2009 World Championships final] and 9.69 [in the 2008 Olympic final]. I wouldn't put anything past him.

"But he's going to have tough competition from Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell and Christophe Lemaitre and I'm not going to discount myself and Marlon [Devonish] and Harry [Aikines-Aryeetey].

"You never know what can happen in the final. Every man has his day. We have to do our best when we are in that final.

"I may have to go beyond my best to get into the final, but if I can run sub-10 seconds and do that then I will be very happy."

Five sprinters have run faster than Bolt this year, although only two - Asafa Powell and Richard Thompson - will be competing in South Korea. American Tyson Gay is injured, while Steve Mullings and Mike Rodgers have both recently failed drugs tests.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices