February 12, 2008

Lord Coe has admitted he is 'uncomfortable' with Dwain Chambers' inclusion in the British team for next month's World Indoor Championships.

Double Olympic champion Coe added his voice to criticism over Chambers' selection because he is concerned by the damage done to the sport by the recent spate of doping scandals.

Coe claimed athletics cannot survive further high-profile cases such as Chambers' and maintained there is no hiding place for drugs cheats.

'Am I uncomfortable at Dwain being picked? Of course I am. My sport is incredibly fragile at the moment,' he said. 'If the previous five years were to happen again, where would we be? These days there are no unhappy circumstances where athletes don't know what they're doing. I do not accept there are any circumstances where athletes like Dwain Chambers can get sucked into something without being complicit.'

Coe, who wants the ban on drug cheats raised to four years, felt UK Athletics were compelled to include Chambers.