Londoner burning to be sprint king

Dwain Chambers is not motivated by the religious persecution, burning ambition to make a name for himself or perceived lack of respect which drove Harold Abrahams, Allan Wells and Linford Christie respectively to become the only three British runners to claim the Olympic 100 metres title.

Most of the time Chambers is so laid back as to be almost comatose. He seems to spend much of his time off the track asleep. He smiles a lot and is relatively comfortable in the company of journalists. But once he settles into his blocks he clearly has something of those great sprinters burning inside him.

In defeat he can be as petulant as any of them. Two years ago, when he was beaten into second at the European championships in Budapest, he frightened a schoolgirl volunteer by kicking a container across the changing room.

Yet earlier this season defeat had become such a way of life for the 22-year-old north Londoner that even he seemed resigned to it. There were no tantrums, just tears. Laid low by a hamstring injury, he suffered the unwanted distinction of finishing last in three consecutive grand prix races.

It was a humiliating experience for a man who had won the bronze medal at the world championships in Seville last year and run 9.97sec, making him only the second European ever behind Christie to break the magical 10sec barrier.

"Every single race was hard and I hated it," Chambers said. "I wasn't used to losing and I had never been injured before. I like winning and getting medals, not finishing last in every race.

"I had no confidence going into races and I told my girlfriend and coach 'I just can't do it'."

For Abrahams, the 1924 Olympic champion immortalised in the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, inspiration would have come in the form of the anger he felt at his treatment as a Jew.

Wells, the 1980 Moscow winner, would have sought solace in the gymnasium as he attempted to work his way back to form.

Christie, the gold medallist in Barcelona in 1992, would have turned on the press.

The common factor, though, is that each only discovered what it took to be a champion after he had suffered great disappointment.

Written off by the press and his rivals alike, Chambers also looked deep inside himself and discovered that he, too, has what it takes to be a winner. The turning point came at Britain's Olympic trials in Birmingham last month when he sprinted to victory. "I thought I stood no chance," admitted Chambers.

"But at the start of the race a little voice said to me 'Just run, don't think about anything'. There was no pressure and no one was expecting anything of me.

"After the heat I knew I had got it back again. Before that it got to the point that I didn't want to race."

It was the start of a remarkable journey back to form which could see him win an Olympic medal when they are dished out on Saturday, and perhaps - just perhaps - join Abrahams, Wells and Christie on Britain's roll of honour if the world record-holder Maurice Greene falls victim to his own cockiness.

At a press conference here yesterday, the American dismissed each of his rivals with a curt laugh or smart-ass comment before the first round, which starts tomorrow. When asked whether Chambers could beat him here he replied sarcastically: "Do you really think so? I suppose anything could happen in a race."

However, Greene is not the Superman of last year when he ran his world record of 9.79sec and claimed three gold medals at the world championships. Sometimes when he has come out of his telephone box this summer he has still been Clark Kent.

Chambers has beaten Greene twice this season. His British team-mates Jason Gardener and Darren Campbell have also triumphed over the American. Chambers' last serious race before the games saw him defeat the American in Gateshead.

"I think I'm on a roll against him. I think I do frighten him now because I've beaten him twice, but it's not just me because I think all three of us can reach the final," said the Briton.

"Last year he looked like Superman but I've got my kryptonite now. I've just got to get it out of my pocket at the right time.

"I've got the edge over Maurice and I hope that affects him. But that's in the past now and I must look forward to the future. I've just got to go out there and go for gold.

"I've had two performances against Maurice to be proud of, so why not a third? I feel I can win gold. I don't train for anything less. Anything is attainable on the day."

Chambers is clearly no longer intimidated by the world's fastest man and insists the pressure is on Greene to win Olympic gold. The 26-year-old American has claimed to have clipped his own world record by 0.01sec in training here, but Chambers also believes he is running into form at just the right time. He is certainly more of a threat than his current world ranking of 24th suggests.

"I've got nothing to prove and I won't be bragging about winning it, even though I'm going for gold as well," he said.

"I'm ready to come out firing in the Olympics. Looking at it and being realistic, if I beat Maurice then I'll win gold. But for him there's more pressure because he's expected to win.

"But I ain't coming home empty-handed. That's the long and short of it. An improvement on last year for me is to win silver or even win it.

"Maurice and I have had some great races and when it comes . . . I think I'll be up for it more than him. I think I'm running so much better technically than when I won bronze in Seville and I feel very confident I can beat him."

Rush for gold Chambers v Greene:

Dwain Chambers

Age 22

Born Twickenham

Personal best 9.97sec

2000 best 10.11

Coach Mike McFarlane

(1984 Olympic 100m finalist)

Major honours 1995 & 1997 European junior champion 1999 world bronze medallist, world junior record holder 1998 European silver medallist

Olympic experience None

Maurice Greene

Age 26

Born Kansas City

Personal best 9.79sec (world record)

2000 best 9.86

Coach John Smith (former world record holder 440y)

Major honours

1997 & 1999 world champion 1999 world 200m champion world record holder 100m

Olympic experience None