De Vos tried to prevent Chambers, who has served a two-year drugs ban, from competing at the World Indoor trials and national championships in Sheffield this weekend because he has not had a drugs test since 2006.

 

But Chambers’ legal team threatened to take action if he was not allowed to run and UK Athletics to reluctantly agree to let him compete and should Chambers win it would guarantee him a place at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia next month.

 

"I need to frame our governance rules so that we can maintain a right of selection," de Vos told BBC Sport.

 

"And I must do so in such a way that the law cannot unpick that right.

 

"I just want our body to be able to maintain its right to select whomever we choose for our national teams.

 

"No-one would dream of telling Fabio Capello or Brian Ashton that the law means you will pick this individual and yet that’s the situation athletics finds itself in.

 

"I find that wholly bizarre."

 

De Vos fears Chambers running could harm public perception of the sport.

 

"This isn’t a personal crusade by me against an athlete, or indeed by UK Athletics.

 

"But there is a wind of change (against drug users) blowing through the sport."