British sprinter Dwain Chambers won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships tonight, finishing second behind Nigeria's Olusoji Fasuba and level with Kim Collins of St Kitts.
The 29-year-old, who is trying to resurrect his athletics career following a two-year doping ban imposed in 2003, clocked a personal best time of 6.54 seconds, the same as Collins who was also awarded silver and three hundredths behind Fasuba.
"I can't please everybody but I have got a medal for my country and I can celebrate that," Chambers told the BBC. "The best man won today but I wanted to go and win and I can't do better than a personal best. I've got my medal and I'm happy."
Chambers was given a positive reception from the crowd in Valencia when he took to the track for the heats in the morning. When his name was announced over the public address system there was a ripple of applause with none of the threatened booing or jeering and the race went off without a hitch.
Chambers said he was delighted with the reception. "I'm very happy with it," he told reporters after his first race. "I didn't want any more stress. People have been greeting me and everyone is happy to see me back on the track. I just want to go out there and win a medal for my country. It's good to be back on the track and running fast."
Chambers, who got the two-year ban after testing positive for the designer steroid THG, was included in the British team for the World Indoors after winning the trials although UK Athletics made it clear they had not wanted to pick him.
The Briton said his open admission about his doping following his ban had won him the respect of the fans. "The best policy is honesty and that's why I got this response....If you are honest people will learn to forgive you quicker than if you lie."