• London Olympics 2012

Chambers gets Olympic warm-up against Bolt

ESPN staff
May 4, 2012
Dwain Chambers will face Usain Bolt in Czech Republic later this month © Getty Images
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Dwain Chambers will have the chance to press his claim for a place at London 2012 after being invited to race Olympic champion Usain Bolt in Czech Republic.

Just days after receiving the all clear to compete in the Olympic Games after the British Olympic Association lost its right to ban drugs cheats for life, Chambers has been invited to compete in the Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting on May 25, in what will be his first appearance at a high-profile grand prix event in six years.

Chambers, who was suspended for two years after testing positve for banned substance THG in 2003, had previously been banned from the biggest meetings in Europe. But after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of the World Anti-Doping Association, Chambers' agent, Siza Agha believes it will be the first of many invitations for the sprinter.

"It's been a hectic few days with a number of very positive discussions on all fronts that illustrate Dwain's standing as an athlete and a person," Agha said in the Guardian. "Speaking to him it is beyond doubt that a huge weight has been taken off his shoulders and he is training hard with renewed vigour and determination to meet the new challenges ahead.

"There are obviously other ongoing discussions that I am confident will result in a wave of further announcements in due course. Dwain needs no reminding that Monday was just a doorway that places him on a more even playing field. He must now step through and deliver consistently what we have seen glimpses of in the last three years."

Chambers has a personal best of 9.97 seconds, which is some way short of Bolt's world record of 9.58s.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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