Dwain Chambers does not expect his legal challenge against a lifetime Olympic ban to be heard for another week, causing major disruption to team selection for Beijing.

Lawyers for the disgraced sprinter have requested a fast-track hearing at the High Court but this is likely to be opposed by the British Olympic Association, who imposed the ban.

The BOA will argue that Chambers has had plenty of time to bring his case to court and legal arguments are likely to delay the case until after the Olympic trials, which start in Birmingham next Friday.

UK Athletics had planned to name their team on Monday week but may have to delay an announcement on the sprint squad until the future of Chambers, who is favourite to win the 100metres in Birmingham, is decided by a judge.

Chambers will "qualify" for Beijing if he finishes first or second, with a third berth in Beijing left to the discretion of the selectors.

If Chambers wins his appeal it is likely to be at the expense of Tyrone Edgar, Marlon Devonish or Craig Pickering, who has signed a petition opposing Chambers's legal appeal.

London Olympics chief Sebastian Coe, meanwhile, claimed the case was overshadowing the build-up to Beijing.

He said: "The sadness of it is that we are going to be in a six-week period talking about stuff we shouldn't be. It's a pain and we should not be dealing with it now. My views are clear: he should not be challenging and he should not be there [Beijing]."

Coe, vice-chairman of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said his sport was in the process doubling the penalty for serious doping offences.

"We have to get from two years to four in serious circumstances and we want that written down," he said. "It will take us a while to get there."

Chambers hopes to break new legal ground in his bid to overturn the BOA's bylaw, which was introduced in 1992. It has been subjected to 27 successful appeals, the most recent involving Christine Ohuruogu, the 400m world champion.

Chambers is questioning the legality of a rule that punished him a second time after he was banned by the IAAF for two years for taking steroids in 2005.

Chambers will point to the fact that only Norway and China have a similar rule with the latter introducing it in only in March.