• London Olympics 2012

Chambers set for flurry of good news

Dwain Chambers could be set to return from the athletic wilderness © Getty Images

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British sprinter Dwain Chambers could be set for a double boost if, as expected, his participation at London 2012 is confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Chambers is waiting to hear the results of a court case between the British Olympic Association and the World Anti-Doping Association - who are demanding the BOA repeal a bylaw that gives lifetime Olympic bans to any athlete found guilty of a drug offence.

WADA is expected to win the case, which would give athletes including Chambers and cyclist David Millar a route to compete at London 2012, when the ruling is announced next week.

More good news could be to come for Chambers, however, as - if the ruling is as expected - the BOA are set to permit him to compete in the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace to help him prepare for the summer Games. Chambers hasn't competed in a UK Athletics-run event since 2006 - when he was found guilty of a drugs violation.

Former Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards does not believe allowing disgraced athletes back into Team GB will prove a problem, despite widespread disagreement about their status.

"I think it's really a bit of a non-issue because Dwain Chambers has been competing for UK Athletics for the last five years and David Millar has been competing with British Cycling for a large number of years," Edwards told the Independent.

"He was team captain when Mark Cavendish won the World Championships so I don't think there is going to be any issue in terms of incorporating these athletes back into the team."

He added: "Athletes should get a second chance. I wouldn't personally support a lifetime ban.

"The reason the BOA brought their bylaw is that because four-year bans for a serious drug offence turned into two. Two years is simply not enough. It's too lenient. It sends out the wrong kind of message. An athlete should miss one Olympic cycle if they test positive for drugs."

There could be further good news for Chambers, with UK Sport also confirming that they will reconsider their ban on drug cheats receiving lottery funding if WADA wins its case.

Liz Nicholl, UK Sport chief executive, told the Telegraph: "While we are not minded to change our current position, the UK Sport board has agreed that should the BOA bylaw be overturned it would be sensible for us to review it."

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