Dwain Chambers wins the European 100m title in 2002 (© Getty Images)
Birmingham, UKDwain Chambers today provided an insight into how his confidence levels have reached new heights after a summer in which he won his first major title, and how he now wants to hold the European 100m record outright.
Chambers starts his indoor season this Friday (21 Feb) at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Birmingham, when he runs in the 60 metres, the first of only two outings before the World Championships take place in the same city next month.
Tim Montgomery, the 100 metres World record holder, is not running and Olympic champion Maurice Greene is injured but Chambers cannot wait to tackle them. A year ago he was still facing up to having failed to build on the 1999 World bronze medal, when the next World Championships took place in Edmonton in 2001.
But in Munich 2002, he became European 100m Champion and then, as Montgomery broke the World record with 9.78 at the Grand Prix Final in Paris in September, Chambers was second in 9.87. That time equalled the European record which Linford Christie had set in 1993, and Chambers now predicts he can overtake both marks this summer.
He has just returned from a winter spell of training which included time in Miami with Remy Korchemny, the man who helped coach the legendary Valeri Borzov to an Olympic sprint double in 1972. It's the second year in a row that Chambers has combined the knowledge of his own coach Mike McFarlane with that of Korchemny, and he said: “When I make predictions, I say things because of the way I know I am feeling.”
”Talking with Remy, he believes the human body can go to 9.65 for the 100m and that is the target I am capable of reaching. So much happened last year that it was like a turning point. I was not happy by finishing second behind Tim in Paris. I want to set those sort of times by rights, by winning the race.”
”I have been working on parts of my training where I needed to improve, such as strength endurance and I am feeling great.”
Chambers will take that confidence into his indoor season where, on Friday, among others, he meets double European 60m champion and fellow Briton Jason Gardener, and Namibia's Frank Fredericks in one of the main races at the British Grand Prix.
”I am looking forward to just getting out there to run. I go to the start line knowing I am capable of beating anyone, which is a fantastic feeling to have. I want to make the team for the World Championships because I want to build on the medal from last year.”
”After Seville, the championship performances in terms of placings did not improve and I was sort of going backwards in that respect. There were two ways I could have gone and last summer I made sure I went the right way.”
”So much of sprinting is about confidence. When you go to the start line feeling good it can be half of the battle.”
Chambers has overcome a hamstring injury and after Friday's event, he will run in the Britain's World Indoor Championships trials the following weekend.
“The winter has to be a base towards what happens in the summer and after the training I have done, I want to now add to that with what happens during the indoor season.”
”It would be fantastic to win a gold medal in my home country but so much is geared towards the summer.”
Chambers’ problem in the past when running indoors, which he has not run for two years, has been the first 10m.
"I have been working on that and let's hope Friday will show what I have done," he added.
By an IAAF Correspondent
