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Chambers wants to run in 2012 Games

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

British sprinter Dwain Chambers wants to compete in the 2012 London Games despite a judge’s refusing to overturn his lifetime doping Olympic ban before next month’s Beijing Games.

Chambers’ attorney had hinted at the athlete’s retirement during the hearing at London’s High Court, saying that his client would “go into the sunset” if he was refused an injunction against the British Olympic Assn.’s bylaw.

However, as Britain announced Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar as the final members of its 100-meter squad, Chambers said he would not retire.

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“I just want to compete,” Chambers told British broadcaster ITV. “I’m a born runner, I’m here to run and I just want to do the best I can and show what I really can do as a clean athlete.

“You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth on this one and I’m a tough cookie, I can deal with it. No matter what, I’m still going to go out and achieve my goals.”

That includes competing in the London 2012 Olympics.

“Participation first and foremost is a key thing for me,” Chambers said. “And then if I get a medal out of it, that’ll be great. Then I’ll be done.”

Laura Wilkinson and her diving partner, Jessica Livingston, lost their appeal to compete in 10-meter synchronized platform diving at the Beijing Olympics.

An arbitrator ruled to keep 15-year-olds Haley Ishimatsu and Mary Beth Dunnichay as the U.S. synchro platform team.

Wilkinson and Livingston had filed a complaint against USA Diving and the U.S. Olympic Committee asking to be put on the team or have another competition to see whether they or Ishimatsu and Dunnichay should compete in Beijing.

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Details of Friday’s confidential American Arbitration Assn. hearing were not disclosed, although USA Diving called the decision “a strong ruling.”

Wilkinson and Livingston finished fourth in platform synchro at a World Cup meet in the Olympic pool this year. Ishimatsu and Dunnichay were eighth at the same meet.

In their complaint, attorneys for Wilkinson and Livingston said USA Diving’s selection criteria were too broadly drawn to meet the standard required by the USOC for team selection proceedings.

The younger duo was named to the Olympic team after it split four competitions with Wilkinson and Livingston at a selection camp this month in Knoxville, Tenn.

First-round draft picks Kevin Love and Robin Lopez were added to the select team of young players that will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team this week in Las Vegas.

Both players were chosen after strong performances in the NBA Summer League. Love, picked fifth by Memphis and traded to Minnesota on draft night, has averaged 20.7 points and 15 rebounds in three games for the Timberwolves.

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Lopez, the No. 15 pick, averaged 16 points and 7.7 rebounds in his first three games for Phoenix.

Rookie of the year Kevin Durant and No. 1 draft pick Derrick Rose headlined the list of 10 players who had previously been chosen for the team. Also picked: Memphis rookie O.J. Mayo, Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, Sacramento’s Kevin Martin, Atlanta’s Al Horford, Oklahoma City’s Jeff Green, Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey and Houston’s Luther Head.

Croatia overcame a 30-point, 13-rebound effort by Dirk Nowitzki to beat Germany, 76-70, at Athens, securing a berth at the Beijing Olympics. Greece also earned a spot in the tournament by beating Puerto Rico, 88-63.

Germany and Puerto Rico will play for the final Olympic berth today.

Croatia, which qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 1996, held Nowitzki to only 10 shots, but he made 19 of 21 free throws. Chris Kaman had 12 points for Germany.

Ninth-ranked Andy Murray will represent Britain in singles tennis at the Olympic Games, and join his brother, Jamie, in doubles.

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White earned a score of 92.00, Bucky Lasek finished second with 88.25, and Bob Burnquist was third with 87.25.

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Reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva moved up to the light-heavyweight division and knocked out James Irvin in the first round of a mixed martial arts bout at Las Vegas.

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