Dwain Chambers could face financial ruin after the Euromeetings Group, which represents 51 promoters throughout Europe, declared that he will not be welcome at their events
The sprinter is attempting to rebuild his career after completing a two-year ban for doping in 2006 and this week won his battle to be included in Britain’s team against the wishes of UK Athletics.
Chambers has already been barred from UK events organised by Fast Track, the commercial arm of UK athletics, and been told he will not be invited to Zurich’s Weltklasse, the richest meet on the circuit.
Rajne Soderberg, the Euromeetings Group President, said his organisation had agreed not to offer invitations to any athletes found guilty of doping offences. “These people cause the sport so much damage, it cannot be forgiven,” he said.
The 29-year-old has to repay some 100,000 pounds of prize money he won while using the banned anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) up to 2006.
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The news came as Wilfried Meert, one of the world’s leading athletics promoters, added his weight to the move to athletes who fail drugs tests from European meetings.
Meert, organiser of the Stockholm Super Grand Prix, said: “I will not be inviting Chambers or anyone else who has been banned for cheating to my meeting. Previously, I have always defended the right that an athlete should be given a second chance. My feeling was they deserved that right - but not anymore.”
Meert is deeply concerned athletics is losing its attraction through the bad publicity generated by constant anti-doping violations.
He added: “This isn’t a personal thing with Dwain. But recently drug cheats have dealt the sport too many blows and the time has come to try and call a halt. Euromeetings are unanimous in this decision and I hope it sends out the right message.”
Meert said Chambers - the 60m winner at the British World trials on Sunday - and other past offenders will also not be welcome to take part at the KBC Indoor meeting in Ghent on February 24.
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That is the last major meeting before the World Indoor Championships take place from March 7-9, and would offer a final chance for athletes to sharpen up before the action gets under way.
It means Chambers will be left out on a limb, unless he is offered a place at other top meetings in Stockholm next Thursday or Paris the following day.
Already, he has been snubbed by organisers of this weekend’s Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham and now looks unlikely to get a race before the championships.
UK Athletics have also made it clear he will not be a starter at their series of outdoor meetings in the summer.