What's the big deal with Dwain Chambers....

"I'm being made to feel like a leper. A terrible stigma has been attached to me but people need to know I am clean. Yes, I did something wrong. I did the crime -- but I've done my time and now I've moved on."

"Other people are allowed to get on with their lives once they have served a punishment -- so why can't I get on with mine? "

"I respect people have opinions about me and they are entitled to those. I'm not going to get into a slanging match with them. But they should remember I'm only doing what I'm legally entitled to do."

"I have a lot to prove but all I want to do is let my legs do all the talking."

By winning the 60m at the national trials last Sunday in a time of 6.55 sec. Dwain Chambers was automatically selected to represent Great Britain at the Indoor Championship in Valencia next month. His form and running were just impressive the all week-end, his attitude and relaxation was so unbelievable for someone who had to suffer criticisms and insults from the UKA (the UK Athletics government), the media (specifically the BBC) and some retire athletes like Dame Kelly Holmes, Steve Cram or Roger Black.

But why? What's the meaning of this hunting to kill Dwain Chambers career when first he was banned 2 years for using the steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) and offered to reimburse to the IAAF (International Athletics Federation) all his prize money and appearance fees he won during the period he was on steroids, then in 2006 the UKA were quite happy to welcome him back to be part of the UK team at the outdoor European Championship in Gothenburg (Sweden) where he won a gold medal as part of the 4x100 team relay squad, then what did change in the past 2 years to explain all this nonsense anger against him from the same Athletics Federation which was all open arms in 2006.....

I mean did we heard Steve Cram or Dame Kelly Holmes in 2006 at Gothenburg slapping Dwain Chambers with hard and unfair comments, did we heard any angry comments or report from the BBC crew (Colin Jackson and Jonathan Edwards) and did we see the UKA fighting to make sure that Dwain "the cheater" Chambers would not be include in the 2006 British team..... Well as far as I remember we only heard praise and admiration for the courage he showed at the time by making his return and helping Great Britain to win.

Yes his interview by Matthew Pinsent for Inside Sport (BBC) last year didn't do him any good, saying in front of a camera that you have to take drugs or steroids to win an Olympic medal was definitely not really cleaver and this was probably to much for the British sports media and UK Athletics officials at the time, knowing that people like Kelly Holmes (2 Olympics Gold medals), Steve Cram (Silver Olympic medal), Sebastian Coe (2 Olympics Gold medals), Colin Jackson (Silver Olympic medal) and Jonathan Edwards (Gold & Silver Olympics medals) are today some of the most respected role models in Britain and spend a lot of their time to give back to their sport by helping kids around the country to enjoy running or training.

But hey come on, did we forget that Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones won 8 Olympics medals since 2000, including 8 World medals since 1997 without talking about the big sponsorship endorsement from NIKE and others companies....seem to me that Dwain Chambers somewhere had a point here....

My conclusion on Dwain Chambers is that he should be allowed to move on with his career and have the freedom to enjoy his second chance as an athlete and I deeply believe that as a clean athlete today, he can be a good example to kids around the world that you don't necessarily need to take anything to win medals, what you need is dedication and passion.

For the people out there who thing that Dwain Chambers back in the UK team created controversy and whatever, my guess is thing about the prospect of having Justin Gatlin running at the Beijing Olympics this summer after nearly 3 years of legal battle in federals courts of law which could see his 8 years ban reduce to 2 years and would allow him to represent the USA in China....

This should be the sports and Athletics headlines not Dwain Chambers.....