Chambers angry after heats exit

A clearly unfit Dwain Chambers crashed out in the heats of the 60 metres at the European Indoor Championships at Gothenburg's Scandinavium Arena on Friday evening.

The veteran sprinter, who has struggled with a back problem which forced him to miss last month's trials, lacked his customary power as he came home fifth in his heat in 6.78 seconds.

That was way down on his best this season of 6.58secs and, with the top four in each heat advancing to the semi-finals, not even quick enough for a fastest loser spot after every athlete in the third and final heat went quicker than him.

A visibly furious Chambers, the defending silver medallist, stormed through the mixed zone afterwards, not stopping to talk to the media, having already angrily discarded his shirt and shoes.

Fellow Britons Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and James Dasaolu looked in rather better shape as they progressed with ease.

Aikines-Aryeetey, the former world junior 100m champion who missed out on London 2012 because of injury, finished third in the first heat in a season's best 6.65 with just 0.01 separating the top three.

He said: "It was a season's best and I am going to take it lower than that.

"I have not focused on indoors and only started to do some speed work. I've trained with Dwain the last two weeks which was good."

Dasaolu, who finished second to European leader Michael Tumi of Italy in 6.62, said: "I'm very happy. I wanted to qualify as easily as possible and don't feel like I expended too much energy. I would love to win my first senior medal so that's my goal this weekend."