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Athletics Weekly continues with its vilification of Dwain Chambers, contrasting his upcoming book (a cynical attempt to exploit his notoriety) with the book from good old Darren Campbell.
I won’t be rushing out to buy Dwain's autobiography. However, I see nothing wrong with him seeking ways to support his family and pay off his debts at a time when, rightly or wrongly, the major European meeting directors are preventing him from earning much of a living. I’m also open to the possibility that the book will benefit the sport. We can expect a strong anti-drug message from one of the few ‘drug cheats’ who readily admitted and took full responsibility for his guilt, owned up to taking the drugs in a previous year, publicly apologized to team mates and agreed to repay the IAAF £130k.
I’d certainly be more inclined to buy Chamber’s book than Darren Campbell’s. That said, it will be interesting to see if Campbell mentions the BBC interview in November 2005 when he said of Chambers: “As a human you have to forgive and forget. If he hadn't been punished you could feel bitter, but what happened wrecked him as a person… .. .. .. ..I can only wish him the best of luck.. .. .. .. .. Don’t think it’s only Dwain’s fault .. .. .. ..Everybody makes mistakes .. .. .. … If he wins medals for the country, I will applaud that”. That’s the same Darren Campbell who after his sulk after the Gothenburg 4x100 let everyone think he had made a principled stand against the inclusion of a drugs cheat in the relay team (whereas Duncan Mackay’s report a day later suggested the real reason was a training bust up involving Campbell’s training partner, Tim Abeyie, Mark Lewis-Francis (who Campbell also shunned) and Chambers).
AW criticises Chambers for exploiting his ‘notoriety’ and yet ironically Campbell hasn’t done badly out of Dwain’s notoriety either – do a Google search of Darren Campbell and Dwain Chambers to see how much media exposure Campbell has secured commenting on Dwain. And I’ve no doubt that when the book is launched there will be a few more headlines generated (and books sold) off the back of whatever he says about Dwain in his book.
I won’t be rushing out to buy Dwain's autobiography. However, I see nothing wrong with him seeking ways to support his family and pay off his debts at a time when, rightly or wrongly, the major European meeting directors are preventing him from earning much of a living. I’m also open to the possibility that the book will benefit the sport. We can expect a strong anti-drug message from one of the few ‘drug cheats’ who readily admitted and took full responsibility for his guilt, owned up to taking the drugs in a previous year, publicly apologized to team mates and agreed to repay the IAAF £130k.
I’d certainly be more inclined to buy Chamber’s book than Darren Campbell’s. That said, it will be interesting to see if Campbell mentions the BBC interview in November 2005 when he said of Chambers: “As a human you have to forgive and forget. If he hadn't been punished you could feel bitter, but what happened wrecked him as a person… .. .. .. ..I can only wish him the best of luck.. .. .. .. .. Don’t think it’s only Dwain’s fault .. .. .. ..Everybody makes mistakes .. .. .. … If he wins medals for the country, I will applaud that”. That’s the same Darren Campbell who after his sulk after the Gothenburg 4x100 let everyone think he had made a principled stand against the inclusion of a drugs cheat in the relay team (whereas Duncan Mackay’s report a day later suggested the real reason was a training bust up involving Campbell’s training partner, Tim Abeyie, Mark Lewis-Francis (who Campbell also shunned) and Chambers).
AW criticises Chambers for exploiting his ‘notoriety’ and yet ironically Campbell hasn’t done badly out of Dwain’s notoriety either – do a Google search of Darren Campbell and Dwain Chambers to see how much media exposure Campbell has secured commenting on Dwain. And I’ve no doubt that when the book is launched there will be a few more headlines generated (and books sold) off the back of whatever he says about Dwain in his book.
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