Chambers could be left out of relay team

Updated 09.23 Tue Jul 15 2008

Keywords: dave collins, olympics, beijing olympics, olympic games, british olympic association, dwain chambers, athletics, sport

Great Britain's Olympic selectors could avoid controversy by leaving Dwain Chambers out of the sprint relay in Beijing.

The sprinter will appear at the High Court on Thursday and he hopes to be given an injunction that will suspend his lifetime ban from the Great Britain team.

"It does not mean he has to run" - Dave Collins

If he wins the legal battle, Chambers will automatically earn a place in the six-man squad for the 4x100 metres relay.

But Chambers has been at the centre of relay controversy in the past.

In 2006, he was part of the team that won gold at the European Championships and his team-mate Darren Campbell refused to take part in the lap of honour because he was upset that he was stripped of two previous medals when it was found Chambers had used performance-enhancing drugs.

In Beijing, Great Britain will be defending the gold medal they won in the 4x100 metres relay in Athens and Chambers could be left out of the team.

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins said: "If he's eligible and he's selected, he would obviously have been named in the relay. It doesn't mean he has to run.

"The important thing to recognise about the relay is how many different factors there are. Not wishing to be disrespectful to our four guys in Athens but, clearly, the fastest four men did not win the gold medal there.

"That's what makes the relay particularly interesting."