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Athletics: Dwain after Bolt
Controversial sprinter plots path to stun Bolt in Berlin
By Chris Hammer Last updated: 4th March 2009
Chambers: Going for gold
Quotes of the week
Dwain Chambers believes a gold medal in Turin this weekend will set him up perfectly for the outdoor season, when he aims to shock Olympic champion Usain Bolt with some stunning times of his own.
The controversial sprinter heads into the European Indoor Championships as the hot favourite to top the podium in the 60 metres and feels his blistering recent form is testament to his renewed motivation following a turbulent 2008 and a new training approach throughout the winter.
Chambers further lowered the personal best he set in January at the low-profile Birmingham Games when clocking 6.51 seconds at last month's European Trials and UK Championships in Sheffield to become the joint-fastest man in the world this year.
But without being severely pushed by his competitors so far, there is certainly more to come from the revitalised 30-year-old, who has steadfastly moved on from the disappointment of failing to overturn his lifetime Olympic ban last summer.
"We've all got over the heartache of what happened last summer," said Chambers, who reveals the truth surrounding his drug-taking past and the aftermath in his autobiography Race Against Me, released on March 9. "I feel I've recovered from it and I've used a lot of it to keep me going because I know I had a real chance to shine.
"My mind is focused on a new beginning and I've planned for the next three or four years of competition. I want to make the most of every opportunity which comes my way and that's what I am doing.
"It's great to feel accepted back and support has been shown from other athletes, the general public and UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.
"It allows me to go forward in a positive frame of mind together with a positive attitude and I can get back to doing what I do most, which is competing."
Williamson threat
His first real chance to achieve sprinting glory for Great Britain this year comes in Turin, where his closest challengers are team-mates Simeon Williamson and Craig Pickering.
Williamson emerged as a genuine threat at the recent Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, an event Chambers was not invited to, as he stormed away to an impressive victory in 6.53.
But this is the kind of competition Chambers is relishing, not just for himself but for his country.
He said: "I didn't have much of a genuine rival until Simeon came out but it's good because it's a healthy British rivalry and that's ultimately what we want.
"We want out British athletes to do the best they can and we've got three sprinters in form, which bodes well for Turin.
"I believe me and Simeon are one and two in Europe with Craig Pickering a close third. So if we can get a 1-2-3 that would be brilliant. Of course we have to cope with the pressure and the rounds but if we stick together as a team rather than individuals then it will give us more confidence to compete with the others."
Chambers, who is snubbed by major events which fall under the EuroMeetings umbrella as a consequence of being a convicted drug cheat, added: "It would have been nice to compete at the Grand Prix but we know what I'm up against. We knew we had three races - Birmingham Games, Sheffield and Turin and this is working to our advantage.
"I can rest and recover and go into the races fresher than others. I don't necessarily need to race all the time to get sharp. I've been doing it a long time so I have a good understanding as to what's going on and seeing who my competitors are.
"Rather than them watching me, I'm watching them! It works in my favour."
Project Bolt
Chambers has been working on a programme he named 'Project Bolt' during the winter in a bid to challenge for honours at the outdoor World Championships in Berlin later this year.
Jamaican sensation Bolt produced a jaw-dropping display in Beijing last summer when running a time of 9.69 in the 100m to capture his first of three Olympic sprint golds, despite starting his celebration yards before the line.
But while Chambers claims his revised training methods are going well it would be foolish to concentrate on one man, especially with the likes of Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay in the reckoning.
He said: "It's going well and it's still something we're hoping to improve but we can't just focus on one person - we must focus on ourselves. If you focus on one man too much another man could slip through the net.
"We need to keep a wider scope of things and try and monitor how other guys are running although Usain Bolt is obviously the man to beat at the moment.
"But the season is long, let's get Turin out of the way first and hopefully my time indoor will give me a good indication of what I could possibly do outdoors."
The least Chambers is forecasting is an assault on Linford Christie's British record of 9.87, which was set in Stuttgart back in 1993, while ideally he knows he must run even faster to topple Bolt.
He said: "Based on the numbers I'm putting down 6.51 is equivalent to about 9.83 - give or take for wind and the competition - which already gives me a British record for 100m which Linford Christie won't be too pleased about!
"If I can now get down to 6.4 or even 6.3 indoors then it puts me in a position to run potentially low 9.7s. I'm better outdoors than indoors.
"Don't forget at the moment it's almost as if I'm running by myself. Put a bit of pressure on me and it's a completely different - that's when you get the best out of yourself.
"I can hit these times if I can put myself in a position where I can compete with people who can push me to my full capacity."
Going for gold
Right now his priority is securing gold in Turin but he concedes any colour of medal will be acceptable further down the line in the summer.
"I wouldn't settle for anything less than a gold to be honest," he added. "As I've got older I've become more chilled out and reserved. But my mind will always be focused on the gold medal - that's what I train for.
"But I'm just looking at it as another competition. It's preparation for the big showdown, which is outdoors.
"I'm using this as an opportunity to get ready, sharp, and get in shape for taking on the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay. That's when it will really matter.
"At the World Championships I would take either a silver or a bronze medal because it would be a great achievement. The 100m is my speciality; it was what I was born to run so I'd be delighted to be a part of it. I haven't competed outdoors since July last year so I'm hungry for it.
"I want to seize my opportunities when I can and I don't want to wait. I understand patience and all that but when the cherry is ripe I want to pick it there and then.
"You can't really predict when you're going to run fast. When all the elements are in the right place at the right time that's when you've got to go out there and seize it.
"When you think about running fast it never happens - it happens when you least expect it."
Revised methods
Even so, his revised training methods and hard work have given him an optimum chance of putting British sprinting back on the world map.
"I got myself a coach called Daniel Plummer," he added. "He's been my second set of eyes and that's been the difference.
"Being able to compete and using my experience is enabling me to get the best out of myself and that's been making the big differences in my performances this year.
"I've always been very prehistoric and old fashioned with my training, such as doing six to eight weeks of slogging endurance. But this time we thought we should start in the middle and do something different.
"We toned it down, worked on more specific things and obviously the results are showing. I never expected to run as fast as I have been - but it feels really good. I'm doing it the right way and it's so much more rewarding."
'Race Against Me: My Story' by Dwain Chambers, is published by Libros International (www.librosinternational.com) on March 9.
Controversial sprinter plots path to stun Bolt in Berlin
By Chris Hammer Last updated: 4th March 2009
Chambers: Going for goldBased on the numbers I'm putting down 6.51 is equivalent to about 9.83 - give or take for wind and the competition - which already gives me a British record for 100m which Linford Christie won't be too pleased about.
Dwain Chambers Quotes of the week
Dwain Chambers believes a gold medal in Turin this weekend will set him up perfectly for the outdoor season, when he aims to shock Olympic champion Usain Bolt with some stunning times of his own.
The controversial sprinter heads into the European Indoor Championships as the hot favourite to top the podium in the 60 metres and feels his blistering recent form is testament to his renewed motivation following a turbulent 2008 and a new training approach throughout the winter.
Chambers further lowered the personal best he set in January at the low-profile Birmingham Games when clocking 6.51 seconds at last month's European Trials and UK Championships in Sheffield to become the joint-fastest man in the world this year.
But without being severely pushed by his competitors so far, there is certainly more to come from the revitalised 30-year-old, who has steadfastly moved on from the disappointment of failing to overturn his lifetime Olympic ban last summer.
"We've all got over the heartache of what happened last summer," said Chambers, who reveals the truth surrounding his drug-taking past and the aftermath in his autobiography Race Against Me, released on March 9. "I feel I've recovered from it and I've used a lot of it to keep me going because I know I had a real chance to shine.
"My mind is focused on a new beginning and I've planned for the next three or four years of competition. I want to make the most of every opportunity which comes my way and that's what I am doing.
"It's great to feel accepted back and support has been shown from other athletes, the general public and UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.
"It allows me to go forward in a positive frame of mind together with a positive attitude and I can get back to doing what I do most, which is competing."
Williamson threat
His first real chance to achieve sprinting glory for Great Britain this year comes in Turin, where his closest challengers are team-mates Simeon Williamson and Craig Pickering.
Williamson emerged as a genuine threat at the recent Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, an event Chambers was not invited to, as he stormed away to an impressive victory in 6.53.
But this is the kind of competition Chambers is relishing, not just for himself but for his country.
He said: "I didn't have much of a genuine rival until Simeon came out but it's good because it's a healthy British rivalry and that's ultimately what we want.
"We want out British athletes to do the best they can and we've got three sprinters in form, which bodes well for Turin.
"I believe me and Simeon are one and two in Europe with Craig Pickering a close third. So if we can get a 1-2-3 that would be brilliant. Of course we have to cope with the pressure and the rounds but if we stick together as a team rather than individuals then it will give us more confidence to compete with the others."
Chambers, who is snubbed by major events which fall under the EuroMeetings umbrella as a consequence of being a convicted drug cheat, added: "It would have been nice to compete at the Grand Prix but we know what I'm up against. We knew we had three races - Birmingham Games, Sheffield and Turin and this is working to our advantage.
"I can rest and recover and go into the races fresher than others. I don't necessarily need to race all the time to get sharp. I've been doing it a long time so I have a good understanding as to what's going on and seeing who my competitors are.
"Rather than them watching me, I'm watching them! It works in my favour."
Project Bolt
Chambers has been working on a programme he named 'Project Bolt' during the winter in a bid to challenge for honours at the outdoor World Championships in Berlin later this year.
Jamaican sensation Bolt produced a jaw-dropping display in Beijing last summer when running a time of 9.69 in the 100m to capture his first of three Olympic sprint golds, despite starting his celebration yards before the line.
But while Chambers claims his revised training methods are going well it would be foolish to concentrate on one man, especially with the likes of Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay in the reckoning.
He said: "It's going well and it's still something we're hoping to improve but we can't just focus on one person - we must focus on ourselves. If you focus on one man too much another man could slip through the net.
"We need to keep a wider scope of things and try and monitor how other guys are running although Usain Bolt is obviously the man to beat at the moment.
"But the season is long, let's get Turin out of the way first and hopefully my time indoor will give me a good indication of what I could possibly do outdoors."
The least Chambers is forecasting is an assault on Linford Christie's British record of 9.87, which was set in Stuttgart back in 1993, while ideally he knows he must run even faster to topple Bolt.
He said: "Based on the numbers I'm putting down 6.51 is equivalent to about 9.83 - give or take for wind and the competition - which already gives me a British record for 100m which Linford Christie won't be too pleased about!
"If I can now get down to 6.4 or even 6.3 indoors then it puts me in a position to run potentially low 9.7s. I'm better outdoors than indoors.
"Don't forget at the moment it's almost as if I'm running by myself. Put a bit of pressure on me and it's a completely different - that's when you get the best out of yourself.
"I can hit these times if I can put myself in a position where I can compete with people who can push me to my full capacity."
Going for gold
Right now his priority is securing gold in Turin but he concedes any colour of medal will be acceptable further down the line in the summer.
"I wouldn't settle for anything less than a gold to be honest," he added. "As I've got older I've become more chilled out and reserved. But my mind will always be focused on the gold medal - that's what I train for.
"But I'm just looking at it as another competition. It's preparation for the big showdown, which is outdoors.
"I'm using this as an opportunity to get ready, sharp, and get in shape for taking on the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay. That's when it will really matter.
"At the World Championships I would take either a silver or a bronze medal because it would be a great achievement. The 100m is my speciality; it was what I was born to run so I'd be delighted to be a part of it. I haven't competed outdoors since July last year so I'm hungry for it.
"I want to seize my opportunities when I can and I don't want to wait. I understand patience and all that but when the cherry is ripe I want to pick it there and then.
"You can't really predict when you're going to run fast. When all the elements are in the right place at the right time that's when you've got to go out there and seize it.
"When you think about running fast it never happens - it happens when you least expect it."
Revised methods
Even so, his revised training methods and hard work have given him an optimum chance of putting British sprinting back on the world map.
"I got myself a coach called Daniel Plummer," he added. "He's been my second set of eyes and that's been the difference.
"Being able to compete and using my experience is enabling me to get the best out of myself and that's been making the big differences in my performances this year.
"I've always been very prehistoric and old fashioned with my training, such as doing six to eight weeks of slogging endurance. But this time we thought we should start in the middle and do something different.
"We toned it down, worked on more specific things and obviously the results are showing. I never expected to run as fast as I have been - but it feels really good. I'm doing it the right way and it's so much more rewarding."
'Race Against Me: My Story' by Dwain Chambers, is published by Libros International (www.librosinternational.com) on March 9.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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