Lemaitre wins gold as Chambers flops

Reuters - Wed, 28 Jul 20:55:00 2010

Young French sensation Christophe Lemaitre tore up the script at the European Championships to deny Dwain Chambers the one that got away and storm to 100m gold in Barcelona.

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The gold medal appeared to be Chambers's for the taking with 30 metres to go but the Frenchman found an extra gear and roared home in 10.11 seconds, while Mark Lewis-Francis secured a shock silver.

It was to be Chambers's final step on the road from ruin to redemption but Lemaitre has been making ripples in athletics circles this season - and he downed the British veteran with a tidal wave in the closing stages.

The European Championships have never been kind to Chambers. In 1998 in Budapest he had to settle for silver and while he did take gold in 2002 in Munich it was then stripped away after he tested positive for banned substances a year later.

To rub salt into the wounds, Chambers did not even make the podium. The positions from second to fifth where all given a time of 10.18 and it was Britain's Lewis-Francis who took the most surprising of silver medals.

Bronze went to France's Martial Mbandjock while Chambers had to settle for fifth.

  • 100m Final

"I didn't have a good start in the final but picked up very well on my speed," said Lemaitre, the fastest man in Europe this year after setting a national record of 9.98 this month.

"It was a brilliant final and I'm very happy tonight."

Thrust to the fringes of his sport, Chambers was a pariah until he made his return to the global stage at the World Championships last year.

Beating Usain Bolt was never on the cards but a credible sixth place finish did much to enhance his reputation.

Chambers has mellowed with age and is at ease on the track these days but Lemaitre is the new kid on the block.

The disappointment was evident on Chambers's face but he was in philosophical mood after the most painful of defeats.

"I've come here and I've loved every minute of it." said Chambers. "Hats off to Christophe Lemaitre. He hasn’t put a foot wrong at all.

"Of course I'm disappointed and I'm sure it will sink in but for now I just want to say that it didn't go for me here but I want to look forward to competing next year."

While Chambers was left to rue another cruel twist of fate, Lewis-Francis's silver medal was just as surprising as his senior compatriot's failure to reach the podium.

The 27-year-old has, just like Chambers, spent his fair share of time in the wilderness with injuries and dips in form curtailing his progress since 2004 where he anchored Great Britain to sprint relay Olympic gold in Athens.

But Lewis-Francis, who sped down the same track on which Linford Christie blazed his Olympic trail of destruction 18 years ago, was quick to announce he is back with a bang.

"I came here on a lucky star and I was told I would not even make the final," said Lewis-Francis, who was originally only named in the relay squad.

"But I've came here and I've got silver and for all the knocks and the setbacks I've taken, this makes it all worthwhile.

"This is the start of the rebuilding of Mark Lewis-Francis.

"I can't say how much of an honour it is to be coached by Linford Christie. He has been an inspiration for me since I was a kid and he has motivated me in every race at these championships."

It is not the medal Great Britain were hoping for and it will not be around the neck of the expected recipient. But as the final chapter in Chambers's career may well have been scribed, a new one in that of Lewis-Francis may just be beginning.

More than the Games / Reuters

Comment 31 - 50 of 50

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  1. overpraise/ratied british

    From siapa, on Sat 31 Jul 0:30

  2. I am another one that is pleased that DC did not­ win.
    Drug cheats should be banned for life.
    What sort­ of role model is a drug cheat welcomed back in the­ English team.
    I am ashamed and turn off the athletics­ when he appears.
    One other point thats nothing to do­ with drugs.
    Why o why do BBC and others have to play­ music with athletics and even while the commentaters­ are talking.
    Please stop doing it.

    From haraboji, on Fri 30 Jul 8:31

  3. Lematrie has obviously been looking at tapes of Usain­ Bolt. Remember, he is only 21/2 inches shorter that­ Bolt.

    This proves that it is as much about technique­ as it is power.

    Give him his due, he ran well, and­ some of the others didn't turn up.....

    From Ray, on Fri 30 Jul 7:22

  4. Chambers is a cheat end of story,in my opinion anyone­ found cheating by taking drugs in any sport should be­ banned for life,that includes "sportspeople"­ that dont turn up for testing so that would apply to­ Christine Ohurugu and Rio Ferdinand

    From super j, on Fri 30 Jul 2:15

  5. time is low but keep in mind that Lemaitre had a very­ bad start
    with a good start on this race is under­ 10sec

    From rikkert, on Fri 30 Jul 1:04
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I waited for hours to watch this race but was­ absolutely disappointed with the time this guys where­ posting.
    I mean the time the top three posted was so­ "1970". They need to step their game up big­ time cos' that time will not even get them into­ semi-finals in the World Championship next year. So­ lets not get carried away. Tyson Gay and Powell are­ running sub 9.90sec constantly and still can get near­ Bolt so i wonder how far back this guys will be from­ Bolt.

    From charles, on Fri 30 Jul 1:04

  7. I think it is unreasonable to say that Chambers is a­ 'flop'- after all many of the runners were­ given the same time at 10.18. Lets wait and see how he­ gets on through the summer.I wish him good luck. I­ believe that he should be given a second chance despite­ the previous drug history.

    From mgm.smith, on Fri 30 Jul 0:29

  8. Lemaitre was the fastest man in Europe this year after­ setting a national record of 9.98 this month and he­ managed to keep his head after a slower start to bring­ home the gold. It was a good performance from and this­ should give him confidence for the future, how much­ faster he can run time will tell but he is still young.­
    As for the Chambers debate, yes he took drugs and in­ many peoples eyes, like anyone else taking performance­ enhancing drugs should have been banned for life, but­ the IAAF ruling was that at that time anyone found­ guilty should be banned for two years *(it has now been­ altered and the ban is four years)* so he served his­ ban and returned, as is his right like any other­ athlete, people can moan about it but until the IAAF­ impose a lifetime ban then it is just going to be­ talked about agian and again every time he runs.

    From Jason, on Fri 30 Jul 0:20

  9. 48, i agree. lets face it the time was slow and against­ the jamacans and americans it wouldnt even be a­ qualifier for the final at the worlds or olympics so­ mlf will still have his critics bacause he cant get­ down to sub10 secs.

    From anthony, on Fri 30 Jul 0:15

  10. well done the french guy..but lets be honest chambers­ is not world class!!world class 100m sprinters­ regularly run sub 10 secs especially in major comps­ chambers never even got in top 3.. his career is never­ going to progress much further now.and i agree with the­ others that said he should be banned for life.look at­ all the medals and glory he stole from the other­ athletes he beat in the past....

    From GREG, on Thu 29 Jul 23:42

  11. Sorry I forgot. It must be his 'natural­ ability.'
    How silly of me.
    Yes.

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 23:21

  12. I find it rather peculiar that Dwain Chemicals can run­ 60m faster after his ban whilst 'totally not­ druggy' than before it when he was 'roided­ off his face.

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 23:20

  13. @42 - 'are­ you suggesting thta you have never done­ anything wrong.­'
    ~
    Yup. I've never cheated at­ sports. Thanks for admitting that you do.

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 23:18

  14. I'm a proud brit and it shames me to see chambers­ in a GB vest whether he wins clean now or not, all the­ people saying he has paid his dues may be correct in­ saying so in the eyes of the law but morally the­ cheating scum will always have dirty hands. the­ punishment should be a life ban if caught cheating. at­ the moment the wrong message is being given out that­ says if you are caught cheating you get suspended where­ you can train as much as you want, take what you want­ while you are suspended and come back even stronger.­ the whole punishment doesnt fit the crime.

    From anthony, on Thu 29 Jul 23:16

  15. Awww....don't you like the truth?

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 23:16

  16. Chambers is a great athlete, no matter what he has doe­ in the past. He made a mistake and paid the price but­ he has come back bigger and stronger. When there was­ no difference in time between 2nd and 5th doesn't­ suggest that he faded but Lemaitre did run a great­ race.
    All those that are knocking him for his past, are­ you suggesting thta you have never done anything wrong.­ Chambers was proudly representng his country last­ night, what have you ever done to get noticed

    From RAY, on Thu 29 Jul 22:57
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    So Jamaican schoolkids run faster than 10.11­ .............well they would would,nt they
    they all­ take drugs just like their Olympic team

    From MICHAEL, on Thu 29 Jul 22:48

  18. dc "The Brits think that they are so­ perfect"? Puzzled, I doubt if there is a more­ self-effacing nation anywhere.
    As for your comment­ about Chambers being the United Kingdom's best hope­ of a Gold in 2011/2012?
    I would submit the women's­ (and increasingly men's) 400M; men's triple­ jump; both men's relays; men's 400H;
    these are­ hardly no-hopers and I take it you are only referring­ to track and field.

    semut - it is hardly unreasonable­ for a broadcaster/media to appeal to their target­ audience. The hint here is that it is British­ Eurosport, therefore there is an emphasis (not an­ exclusivity) on British athletes. If I was in an hotel­ room in Moscow watching Russian television, I would­ expect that they would concentrate on Russian athletes­ (let us not forget Pravda).

    From Ranger130, on Thu 29 Jul 22:46

  19. @9 & 10
    'ppl get over­ it hes white so wat a­ great runner is not made great by­ the colour of his­ skin'
    ~
    'it dosent make u faster by being­­ black,'
    ~
    Actually it helps if you're a­ sprinter. Every single Olympic 100m Champion since 1972­ (with the exception of 1980 when no-one of note turned­ up) can trace their ancestry to a geographical area of­ North West Africa.

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 22:21

  20. Good to see Dwain Chemicals (who is still cheating­ btw.) fail like a c@nt last night.

    From CHARLEY_BIGTIME, on Thu 29 Jul 22:15
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