Chambers sets up one last crack at world title in Daegu

Chambers would have loved to bring his career to an end at next year’s London Olympics, but is barred from competing after testing positive for the designer steroid THG in 2003.

At the age of 33, Chambers is well aware that time is running out, but he was able to put all Olympics talk to the back of his mind in order to have one last crack at a world title.

“I tell you what, it’s not getting any easier,” admitted Chambers, who won in 10.09secs ahead of Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and 35-year-old Marlon Devonish, who both clocked 10.14.

“My age is kicking in now, but I relish the competition because that’s what brings out the best in all of us. It keeps me on my toes.”

As well as Jessica Ennis, there were plenty of other Yorkshire athletes in action in Birmingham, all of who put in some impressive performances.

Lee Doran (City of Sheffield) gave a great performance to take gold in the javelin with a personal best of 78.63m.

Doran, 26, led from round one when he threw 73.19m and he soon improved that to 73.53m. His big throw came in the fourth round and saw him win by more than four-and-a-half metres.

Hot favourite Joanna Jackson (Middlesborough) won her sixth title in the 5000m walk in a time of 21:42:32. Jackson, based at the Leeds Carnegie campus, won by over three minutes.

James Wilkinson beat his personal best time for the 3000m steeplechase when he finished runner-up to Derby’s Luke Gunn.

The Leeds athlete clocked 8:42.86 to take some three seconds off his best, holding off a fierce challenge from Mark Draper of Bedford.

Wakefield’s Martyn Bernard was runner up in the high jump to Tom Parson (Birchfield). In a close contest the top three all cleared 2.28m and Bernard should have secured his place in the World Championships.

Yorkshire champion Greg Beard (Belgrave) won the bronze medal in the shot with a throw of 17.64m. Just missing qualifying for the final, Matt Hudson (City of Sheffield) won the 110m B race in 14:18.11.

City of Sheffield’s Mukhtar Mohammed, considered to be a medal prospect in the 800m, fell on the final bend of his heat and trailed in last. His Sheffield team-mate Steve Evison ran superbly in his heat and went even better in the semi final where a personal best of 1:48.82 got him a place in the final. Far from being overawed, Evison ran from the front in the final, leading to the 600m mark and running on gamely to take fourth place in another personal best of 1:48.1.

Luke Cutts (Dearne ATC) is having a disappointing season and failed to clear a height in the pole vault.