Chambers sets up 'Project Bolt'

Chambers: Targets Bolt

But the sooner we put a crack in his armour, that's when the competition will start. We can't afford to let him have his own way for five years because that's going to be too long and I only have three years left!

Dwain Chambers
Quotes of the week

Also see

• Chambers interview part one
• Chambers interview part two
• Chambers interview part three
• Chambers interview part five


• Chambers: A year in pictures

Dwain Chambers is devising a master plan to shock Olympic sprint sensation Usain Bolt next season and has vowed to find the "crack in his armour".

The Jamaican hero stole the show inside Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium this summer as he blitzed his way to an unprecedented three gold medals and three world records.

Bolt took the 100 metres to another level by clocking a staggering 9.69 seconds despite starting his celebrations yards before the finishing line.

Four days later he dazzled the global audience once again when eclipsing Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record in the 200m.

And, as a key member of the all-conquering Jamaican 4x100m quartet, the 22-year-old became the first man in Olympic history to break world records in all three events at a single Games.

After all that, some would argue the flamboyant 'Lightning Bolt' is operating in a league of his own right now and is quite simply unbeatable.

But this is certainly not a view held by Chambers, who is relishing the prospect of an uninterrupted and focused year on the track having been told he will be a welcome member of the Great Britain team by new head coach Charles van Commenee.

He can also take heart from running a best of 10 seconds flat during an emotionally draining 2008, in which he failed to overturn his lifetime Olympic ban, despite being given precious few chances to race at competitive meetings.

Now the country's fastest man is tenaciously working on ways in which he can bridge the daunting gap that currently separates him from Bolt.

"I'm a competitor who loves a tough challenge and I'll relish the opportunity to race against Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell next year," Chambers said.

"I'm particularly looking forward to competing against Bolt because I trained with him in 2006 so with that in mind I want to know what it feels like to run against a guy who can now run 9.69.

"I was mesmerised big time by what he did in Beijing. I was absolutely flabbergasted and couldn't believe what I was actually seeing. It shocks me to this day and I still sit down and study him. It's important for me to watch on tape a lot what he does, his mechanics and his drive speed.

"I also need to understand Usain Bolt as an individual because I need to know what I'm up against when I line up next to him in the flesh so I can go out there and achieve my goal.

"That's what our training sessions are geared towards - we call it Project Bolt! That's who we're targeting so that will be a lot of fun. He's definitely the man to follow."

No time to waste

With his London 2012 dream in tatters due to his conviction for using the banned substance THG back in 2003, Chambers accepts he realistically has just three years left on the world stage and is desperate to make every second count against the sprint phenomenon.

He said: "Usain Bolt has taken over the mould of Maurice Greene, who dominated for five years when he arrived. And I believe Usain will be the same.

"But the sooner we put a crack in his armour, that's when the competition will start. We can't afford to let him have his own way for five years because that's going to be too long and I only have three years left! But the important thing is for me to go out there and have some fun."

Before the Olympics, Bolt's coach Glen Mills had been concerned his star pupil's questionable starting speed and lack of experience could be his downfall over 100m.

In a warm-up event in Stockholm, his fellow countryman Asafa Powell left him for dead in the blocks and edged a narrow victory but the tables were dramatically turned just a month later.

Therefore, Chambers is looking elsewhere for an Achilles heel.

"He can afford to be slow out of the blocks because he's so long in the legs he covers the ground quicker than anyone else," he added. "He uses 41 strides in the 100 metres whereas everyone else is 44. In order for me to beat Usain Bolt I have to increase my stride length.

"I have greater stride frequency than him but he has greater stride length. So ideally I need to increase both if I am to beat him. And that's what I'm working on."

The Olympic 100m final did mark another disappointing episode in Powell's attempts to top the podium in a major championship.

Despite being one of the sport's leading trail blazers on the international circuit, the former world record holder has never got it right on the biggest stages.

The trend continued in Beijing, where he could only finish fifth - just like he did four years earlier in Athens despite starting as one of the favourites.

There's no doubt he remains a formidable one-off race specialist and in early September at the Athletissima Grand Prix he matched the second fastest 100m in history with a personal best time of 9.72.

Powell recently admitted he's perhaps "not the guy for those big championships" but Chambers believes success will come if he can overcome the mental pressures.

"I think it all happens on the day," said Chambers. "Asafa Powell can seemingly run 9.7s at the drop of a hat but when the pressure's on it is difficult. He's living proof of how much pressure is put upon individuals.

"So it's all about having the right mindset, putting your opponent under pressure and the result will come.

"It may come for Asafa. It's a matter of time, maturing, learning and finding your place. Coping with the pressure will never be easy. I'm 30 and I still cope with it badly but all athletes do. But in time you learn to expose your opponents and concentrate more on the job. And I'm sure Asafa will get it right one day, but it's just a matter of time."

Advice

Chambers believes this kind of advice is crucial for all aspiring sprinters to follow if they want to achieve greatness.

He said: "Again, this is the kind of information I can give to athletes, on how to get their mental approach right before competition. You can do as much running, as much technical drills as you want but if you don't have the right mental approach then all that goes to waste. It's pointless.

"You have to have it right up in your brain first. It's like going into an exam without revising - you're going to fail. You have to revise, understand what you're doing and why and then you'll get the results you desire."

In the final instalment of the interview on Friday, Dwain Chambers reflects on his time spent at Castleford and whether he's now an expert in the rules of rugby league!