British title win has Chambers rethinking retirement
SPRINTER Dwain Chambers revealed he was considering hanging up his running spikes before storming to an eighth British title – and fifth in a row – in Birmingham yesterday.
The 36-year-old rolled back the years to cross the line in a season’s best 10.12 seconds ahead of Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and third fastest Briton of all time Chijindu Ujah.
Chambers’ run puts him inside the qualifying standard for the European Championships to be staged in Switzerland later this year and, he admitted, has probably prolonged his career.
“I put myself on the line knowing that if I didn’t do it now, then that was it,” he said. “Earlier in the season things weren’t going well and if it didn’t go well here I knew it was done. I would have had to seriously review my situation.”
Newham & Essex Beagles’ Asha Philip said she ran the “race of my life” to win the women’s 100m title, while William Sharman won the sprint hurdles to secure his place on the plane to Zurich in August alongside Lawrence Clarke.
Former European bronze medal winner Martyn Rooney was crowned British 400m champion for the fifth time and there were new national records for 5,000m walker Tom Bosworth and Paralympic champion Dan Greaves in the F44 discus.
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson registered a personal best 6.81m in the long jump, while javelin thrower Goldie Sayers won her 11th British title.
WINNERS
■ 100m Dwain Chambers; Asha Philip
■ 110mH William Sharman
■ 400m Martyn Rooney; Kelly Massey
■ 400mH Eilidh Child
■ 800m Lynsey Sharp
■ 1,500m Charlie Grice
■ 5,000m Emelia Gorecka
■ Shotput Scott Rider
■ Hammer Sophie Hitchon
■ Pole vault Steve Lewis