Chambers decision delayed

Dwain Chambers must wait until next week to discover his fate after his disciplinary hearing with UK Athletics.

Chambers had a disciplinary hearing today which ended this afternoon, but no verdict was announced, with a decision expected by the middle of next week.

The European 100 metres champion faced a three-man panel at London's Lincoln's Inn Field after testing positive for the banned designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) in an out of competition test last August.

Charles Flint QC chaired the panel hearing evidence presented by UK Athletics and 25-year-old Chambers, who has vehemently protested his innocence.

The case for UK Athletics, who are demanding a ban, was presented by David Pannick QC, who defended British tennis player Greg Rusedski at his recent drugs hearing in Montreal.

Chambers was represented by Michael Berloff QC, who defended Scottish skier Alain Baxter after he tested positive at the 2002 Winter Olympics following use of a nasal spray.

The heavyweight line up of witnesses for UK Athletics included Larry Bowers, a scientist with the US Anti-doping Agency and Professor Don Catlin, director of the UCLA laboratory.

The case against Chambers arose after the US Anti-doping Agency were secretly tipped off by an American coach who provided them with a sample of THG - thought to be an undetectable drug - and then had the University of California develop an antidote.

They then ensured all tests carried out at the USA National Championships last June were securely stored and when a successful testing was developed four athletes were found to have competed using THG.

Chambers was the first to be publicly named and, with the IAAF operating a strict liability regulation whereby competitors are responsible for any substances found in their bodies, he will find it difficult to escape punishment, despite insisting he has never knowingly used any drugs to enhance his career.