Silence greets Chambers heat win at world indoors

VALENCIA—Britain’s controversial sprinter Dwain Chambers eased through his 60m heat to qualify comfortably for the semi-finals here later on Friday.
Chambers won in 6.69 secs, the sixth fastest qualifier in the heats, despite a poor start which meant he had to work hard over the second half of the race.
American champion Michael Rodgers, who has improved enormously this winter, had the top mark with 6.62 secs.
The anticipated booing and heckling for Chambers did not materialise but it was also notable that there were very few cheers for his success.
The former European 100m champion, who served a two-year drug ban after his involvement in the infamous BALCO doping scandal, has been the focus of attention here. After coming back from his drug ban and competing in 2006, Chambers then attempted to start a career in American Football last year and did not undergo any athletics-instigated drug tests before his return to the sport this winter. Niels de Vos, the chief executive of UK Athletics, initially tried to prevent Chambers from competing in the World Championships trials last month, saying that he had not been available for drug testing for the 12 months leading up to the meet.
However, de Vos had no legal grounds to stop Chambers competing nor, after he won the trials, could UK Athletics avoid selecting him. Chambers may not necessarily be an automatic choice by the pundits for a medal after the maelstrom that has engulfed him in the last month but several other athletes laid down their claims convincingly.
American shot putter Reese Hoffa impressively topped the morning qualifiers with an effort of 21.49m, the reigning world champion indoors and out putting more than half-a-metre ahead of anyone else.
Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar and Meselech Melkamu were both the two winners of the women’s 3,000m heats, clocking 8:46.32 and 8:51.02 respectively.
“I can’t see anyone other than myself and Meselech winning the gold medal,” said Defar confidently. Defar is the reigning world indoor champion over the distance as well as the current World and Olympic champion over 5,000m.
By contrast it was Kenyans, who took both heats of the men’s 3,000m. Paul Koech, who is better known as a steeplechaser, and Edwin Soi won in 7:54.46 and 8:03.54 respectively although both men expended more energy than strictly necessary in order to come home in front of their Ethiopian rivals.
Nigerian’s Franca Idoko showed whey she is the fastest sprinter indoors this year with a sizzling start to clock the best women’s 60m heat time of 7.19 secs.

—Agencies