Chambers rewrites European 60m record in Turin

DWAIN Chambers rewrote the four-year old European record as he cruised into the 60m final at the European Indoor Championships.

WHAT'S NEXT? Dwain Chambers must have his sights on Maurice Green's world record after his storming performance in Turin (Getty Images)

His time of 6.42 seconds is the fastest in the world this year and it carved a slender one hundredth off Frenchman Laurent Fignon's former best.

"I can't complain, I didn't expect it and I'm very pleased," said Chambers.

"I was hoping for a record in the final so I have to remain cool because there is another round to go. It's more important to come home with a gold medal."

But on this form, Chambers looks more than capable of lowering American Maurice Green's current world indoor record - 6.39 seconds, set in 1998 and 2001.

Which makes his well-chronicled mistakes of the past all the more maddening and all the more saddening.

"I'm running faster than ever before, so that just shows what I did wrong four or five years ago didn't work for me," he added.

"I just enjoy what I do now. I'm feeling confident but I need to keep myself as cool as possible and do the same thing tomorrow.

"You can talk about the world record but it's all about winning for me."

Team-mate Simeon Williamson qualified as second quickest in 6.57 sec while Craig Pickering, second at this event in Birmingham two years ago, posted a 6.63 sec time to advance as fifth quickest.

JAMES TONEY in Turin