Coe, the 1980 and 1984 Olympic 1500 metres champion and a strident anti-drugs campaigner, is not happy about the fact that UK Athletics have been forced to let Chambers run at the Norwich Union World Indoor Trials in Sheffield on Sunday.

 

Their case was undermined last week when the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said that there was no reason why Chambers should not be allowed to compete because as far as they were concerned he had remained on the out-of-competition drugs testing register even though he had been away from the sport for a year while he pursued a new career in American football.

 

Coe is a member of the IAAF's ruling Council and a potential candidate to run for president when Lamine Diack steps down in 2011.

 

He said: "If you are asking me as an individual would I be comfortable seeing Dwain Chambers in an Olympic vest, the answer is no.

 

"It is not for the international federation to make judgements about domestic selection policy - that's entirely for UK Athletics."

 

Coe refused to say whether UK Athletics should pick Chambers for the World Indoor Championships in Valencia next month but made it clear that the recent drugs scandals involving Chambers, Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones had done the sport great harm.

 

Only winner of the 60 metres in Sheffield is guaranteed selection, giving UK Athletics some degree of flexibility if Chambers is beaten.

 

Coe said: "I'm not setting up criteria for UK Athletics selection.

 

"We have to accept that the sport has been in fragile times.

 

"These have been a very difficult four or five years for us."

 

Chambers was the original face of the London 2012 bid when it was launched in November 2002, which was before Coe had an official role.