Defiant Chambers closing on Beijing Olympics after victory in Greece

The disgraced British sprinter won his first 100 metres race for 22 months in a time of 10.25sec, fractionally outside the standard for Olympic selection but comfortably inside the time of 10.85sec required to enter next month's trials.

Dwain Chambers insists he is 'optimistic' at overturning his Olympic ban.

His race to the Olympics began yesterday in Kalamata, a seaside town on the Greek Peloponnese famous for its sandy beaches and silk production. That race is now certain to take a diversion through London's High Court.

He was looking for an impressive time at the Papaflessia meeting to convince himself and his supporters that it is worth launching a High Court challenge to the British Olympic Association's constitution which bars anybody who has served a doping ban from being selected.

Chambers served two years, admitting since that he took seven different banned drugs. Nick Collins, his Leeds-based solicitor, said: 'I'll talk to him when he gets back tomorrow, see how he feels, if he's confident. It'll be too soon to turn things around this week now, but first thing next week we shall be launching our appeal.'

Before that, Chambers plans to run for his London club Belgrave Harriers on Sunday at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium - the track where the Olympic trials will be held from July 11-13. He hopes to surpass the selection standard of 10.21sec at the second attempt.

Chambers, 30, was slow to start, which was hardly surprising for a man whoseBut Chambers then turned on the power in the final stages to sneak up on Skiles and take victory by the narrowest of margins. Skiles finished with the same time of 10.25secs while Canadian Nick Macrozonaris was third with a time of 10.48.

training since he won the 60m silver at the European Indoor Championships in early March has been interrupted by a failed attempt to become a rugby league player with Castleford Tigers. Only in the final two strides yesterday did he finally overtake American Mardy Scales, a 10.07sec runner three years ago, in a photo-finish.

Chambers does not now have an agent and he contacted organisers himself to obtain permission to run. He did not ask for a fee and made the trip despite being aware that the journey involved a four hour coach trip after his flight to Athens.

'I was pleased just to be here, first and foremost, and get back into the swing of competition,' said Chambers. 'It was good to be performing today. I'm very happy.'

Before the race, he told the Greek daily paper Sportsday that he is more than capable of winning an Olympic medal if he is allowed to compete.

He said: 'I don't want to put my country in a difficult position - I'm doing this because I believe I can do well in the Olympics.

'If I didn't believe that then I wouldn't waste my time and the time of my lawyers. I believe that I can be in the first three in Beijing. I can win a medal.'

He said he was optimistic he would overturn the BOA's ban.

'The ruling is unfair and this only exists in Britain. I'm confident I will be in China,' he said, adding that he has taken great comfort from public support.

He could challenge the BOA's ruling on the grounds of restraint of trade or that it is a secondary punishment not laid down in the rules of the sport or of the World Anti-Doping Agency code, to which the British government is a signatory.

The BOA have expressed confidence that their rule will stand up to a legal challenge and chairman Lord Moynihan promises to fight Chambers all the way over the issue.