Chambers loses Beijing battle

8:03am Saturday 19th July 2008

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Dwain Chambers has lost his High Court bid to be allowed to compete at next month's Olympic Games in Beijing.

Mr Justice Mackay refused to grant an injunction to temporarily suspend a lifetime ban on the sprinter competing at the Olympics.

The ban was imposed by the British Olympic Association (BOA) because of his self-confessed past use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The judge issued his ruling on Friday morning after spending Thursday listening to the conflicting arguments over the athlete's attempt to win an injunction suspending the bylaw before a full trial of the issues in March next year.

Mr Justice Mackay returned to the London court to give his ruling to a packed courtroom and the athlete himself.

The judge said: "Many people both inside and outside sport would see this bylaw as unlawful.

"In my judgment it would take a much better case than the claimant has presented to persuade me to overturn the status quo at this stage and compel his selection for the Games."

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