Dwain's picture is a Bolt from the blue

Updated: 18:46 EST, 17 August 2008

British sprinter Dwain Chambers, despite being banned from competing in Beijing after failing to have his drugs ban lifted in the High Court, found himself front page news in China on the morning of the 100 metres race in which Usain Bolt set his extraordinary world record.

A full colour picture of a pumped-up Chambers roaring defiance dominated the front page of the Beijing Youth Daily on Saturday, with the headline translating to read ‘Especially Special’.

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Front page news: Chambers was mistaken for Usain Bolt

The newspaper, which has a circulation of about 600,000, was in fact referring to Bolt and was setting the scene for the blue riband race of the Olympics. But, somehow, they mistook Chambers for Bolt at the picture selection stage although there is little resemblance. Chambers is in Spain working on his autobiography.

The Beeb, not content with their monopoly deal for live Olympic rights, complained about the access given to ITN’s Mark Austin for his day in the life of London 2012 chairman Lord Coe screened last week. Austin had arranged his time with Coe that took in Tiananmen Square, the Bird’s Nest Stadium and a London 2012 management meeting three months ago.

The Aussie networks are warring, too. Olympic rights holders Channel 7 have had rivals C9 — who have the 2012 Olympic deal — suspended for a week from all broadcasting because they were caught putting a camera inside the Water Cube venue.

But C7 infuriated Aussie viewers when they switched from their Olympic coverage to an Australian Rules match.

Sports gear giants adidas are taking the high ground over Nike client Kelly Sotherton’s on-line ad in which the heptathlete (right), who finished a disappointing fifth, takes a lie detector test and promises to win gold.

Rivals adidas say they would never put an athletes under that sort of PR pressure so close to competition.

Nike say the promotion, for which they received an IOC waiver to run brand-related material during the Games — reflected Sotherton’s (misguided) confidence. They have also resigned Liverpool striker Fernando Torres on a boot contract after the adidas-owned Reebok brand were going to base a new boot around him.

Michael Phelps's eighth gold medal was used by the shameless IOC to explain why they cancelled their second successive daily press conference — claiming too many reporters wanted to watch the American in his final relay swim.

The problem with this lame excuse is that the Phelps win was over just after the conference start, which begins late most mornings. It was also a ticket-only event. The more likely explanation is that the Chinese organising committee and the IOC are trying limit their increasingly heated confrontations with the press.

Delegates from the shambolic International Cricket Council are in Beijing to lobby for Twenty20 at the 2020 Games. The move is hindered by ICC ineptitude but helped by cricket hotbed Delhi where the Commonwealth Games will be staged in 2010. The city is a strong contender to host the Games in 12 years. England are not interested because cricket at the Games would decimate the summer programme.

There is sure to be a massive battle after the Games to take the credit for GB’s gold rush in Beijing. Lord Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Committee with expansion ambitions for his organisation, will be centre stage of that confrontation. But his opponents are already questioning the multi-millionaire’s wisdom for loaning cash to the BOA where he holds an elected position. Moynihan has provided £250,000 on an interest-free basis to help pay for elite performance director Sir Clive Woodward and his team.