Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt makes comeback after drug ban is cut

LaShawn Merritt, the Olympic and world 400m champion banned for 21 months after testing positive for an anabolic steroid, finished second on his competitive comeback in Stockholm on Friday. Merritt was given a two-year ban but this was reduced to 21 months after he confessed to using an over-the-counter penis enhancement product – apparently unaware that one of its ingredients was on the banned substances list. Now the US Olympic Committee is lending its support to Merritt in an attempt to overturn his Olympic ban at the court of arbitration for sport on 17 August. Dwain Chambers refused to be drawn on the implications that the American sprinter's situation might have on his own case. Merritt finished behind Jamaica's Jermaine Gonzales in Stockholm and said his focus is on running at the world championships after the US governing body selected him for the team. "I'm just leaving it all up to God to figure it out," the 25-year-old told the BBC. "My family are behind me. I'm clean and I'm really just getting ready for the worlds. Running 44.74sec [a time that ranks him fifth fastest in the world this year] in my first race, I can't complain." Stockholm's meet organiser, Rajne Soderberg, defended his invitation to the American, saying Merritt's circumstances did not conflict with the EuroMeetings ban on drug offenders. "He is not banned for two years," Soderberg said. "He's not put the sport in real disrepute. He's not got caught with doping products in his car, like some athletes have." Usain Bolt comfortably won the 200m, crossing the line in 20.03sec, on the same track where he suffered a rare defeat against Tyson Gay in the 100m last season. The 24-year-old's time was short of his world-leading mark of 19.86sec in Oslo this season but the Jamaican was running into a headwind. The 33-year-old Chambers qualified for Saturday's 100m semi-finals at the UK Trials and is vying for a place at next month's world championships. But because of his two-year drug suspension for taking the anabolic steroid THG, dating to 2003, he remains ineligible to run in Diamond League events. Chambers would like to overturn his own Olympic ban before the Games in London next year but the former world and European indoor champion said he cannot become distracted. "I just have to concentrate on the opportunities that I do have available to me. The person that'll probably be able to help you best is Siza Agha [Chambers' manager]. He's doing a lot behind the scenes to try and balance things out, which is good because it allows me to concentrate on my job here." Chambers admitted it was difficult seeing his training partners at Lee Valley get excited about London 2012. "I'm constantly reminded. I switch on the TV, I see it. I read the paper, I see it. But you know, there's nothing I can do. All I can do is concentrate and have as much fun as I can. I'm just going to see out this year and see how next year goes ... I'm just enjoying it while I can because I know it's slowly coming to an end. Hopefully I can still remain No1 in Britain." Chambers will hope to regain his British title on Saturday night, thereby qualifying for the world championships in South Korea in August. "I'm just going to run until the wheels fall off," he said. "I want to see if I can better my performance from two years ago [when he finished sixth in the 100m final] and I'll be happy."