Chambers decision 'easy' insists athletics head coach.

UK ATHLETICS head coach Charles van Commenee claims the decision to pick controversial sprinter Dwain Chambers to run the sprint double at next month's World Championships in Berlin was "easy".

The 31-year-old, who served a two-year ban from athletics for testing positive for THG in 2003, was named in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team yesterday for the 100 metres and 200m.

There is no place, though, for Hannah England in the 1500m, with Lisa Dobriskey and Steph Twell taking the two remaining places alongside Charlene Thomas.

Martyn Rooney and Michael Bingham join Robert Tobin in the 400m, while Jessica Ennis, tipped for gold in the heptathlon, has also been included in the 100m hurdles, although, with the events so close together, Van Commenee revealed it is unlikely she would run the hurdles if she finished her main event.

Olympic and defending world 400m champion Chrissy Ohuruogu is included despite serious concerns over her fitness.

Three athletes from the region have made the squad - long jumper Chris Tomlinson from Middlesbrough, North Shields' Vicky Barr for the 4x400m relay team and Joanna Jackson from Redcar for the 20km walk.

Chambers' inclusion in the 100m was expected but his place in the 200m had been less certain after he withdrew from the event at the trials in Birmingham citing exhaustion.

But the European indoor champion did win over both distances at the European Team Championships in Portugal.

Simeon Williamson, the trials winner, and Tyrone Edgar also go over 100m.

Explaining the decision to include Chambers alongside Toby Sandeman and Marlon Devonish in the 200m, Van Commenee said: "Dwain Chambers, as well as Marlon Devonish, had several 'A' standards and actually Dwain Chambers has shown most consistency. He's got four 'A' standards in four races. That was actually an easy one."

The 'A' qualifying standard is 20.59seconds. The winner of the trials was guaranteed selection provided they had the A standard, with two more spots up for grabs.

Dobriskey's preparations have been hampered by a stress fracture to her back but she came third at the London Grand Prix last weekend having finished fourth in the 1500m Olympic final in Beijing last year, and three-time European junior cross country champion Twell is a genuine medal prospect for London 2012.

England, though, can count herself unlucky after beating Twell and trials winner Thomas at Crystal Palace at the weekend.

And Van Commenee admitted choosing the women's 1500m trio had been the toughest of his decisions.

"There were four strong contenders for selection. Lisa Dobriskey was selected based on her outstanding performance in Crystal Palace after being out for a long time and, of course, fourth place at the Olympic Games and so that left a choice between Twell and England.

"Twell beat England in the trials, England beat Twell in Crystal Palace so that was 1-1. And Twell had the best time of the year and two 'A' standards and that was slightly more important than what England had to bring to the table."

Ohuruogu, 25, has been troubled by a hamstring injury, which ruled her out of the recent Golden League meeting in Paris and the London Grand Prix.

Van Commenee thinks she will be fit to compete, although the chances of her successfully defending her title look slim in the extreme, especially given the form of American rival Sanya Richards.

Paula Radcliffe had already been se-lecteto run the marathon but will wait to decide if injuries will allow her to compete.

The 35-year-old is on the comeback trail after surgery to remove a bunion from her foot.

"A decision to take part is hers and will be made probably next week or maybe even later," said Van Commenee.

Van Commenee will be targeting five medals when the competition gets under way on August 15. He added: "It's the strongest possible team. It's probably not the strongest British team of all time.

"I think we have to be realistic about the expectations given the fact that we've lost some athletes with medal potential, in particular Mara Yamauchi, Kelly Sotherton and Tasha Danvers (to injury).

"Last time around in Osaka we won five medals and I think that should be the aim again for this time. Going backwards is not the direction that we want.

"I think it's quite an ambitious goal given the strength of the team but I think we have to be ambitious."

GREAT BRITAIN AND N IRELAND TEAM

MEN 100m: Dwain Chambers (Belgrave); Tyrone Edgar (Newham & Essex Beagles); Simeon Williamson (Highgate) 200m: Chambers; Marlon Devonish (Coventry Godiva) Toby Sandeman (Thames Valley) 400m: Michael Bingham (Trafford) Martyn Rooney (Croydon), Robert Tobin (Basingstoke & Mid Hants) 800m: Michael Rimmer (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton) 1500m: Andy Baddeley (Harrow), Tom Lancashire (Bolton) 5000m: Mo Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles) 110m hurdles: Gianni Frankis (Newham & Essex Beagles), Andy Turner (Sale) 400m hurdles: David Greene (Swansea), Rhys Williams (Cardiff) 4x100m relay: Harry Akines-Aryeetey (Sutton & District), Devonish, Edgar, Rikki Fifton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets), Craig Pickering (Marshall Milton Keynes), Williamson 4x400m relay: Bingham, Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes), Nigel Levine (Bedford & County), Rooney, Tobin, Conrad Williams (Kent) High Jump: Germaine Mason (Birchfield) Pole Vault: Luke Cutts (Dearnside), Steve Lewis (Newham & Essex Beagles) Long Jump: Greg Rutherford (Marshall Milton Keynes), Chris Tomlinson (Newham & Essex Beagles) Triple Jump: Larry Achike (Shaftesbury) Nathan Douglas (Oxford), Phillips Idowu (Belgrave)

Shot: Carl Myerscough (Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde) Javelin: Mervyn Luckwell (Marshall Milton Keynes) WOMEN 200m: Emily Freeman (Wakefield) 400m: Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles), Nicola Sanders (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) 800m: Jenny Meadows (Wigan), Marilyn Okoro (Shaftesbury), Jemma Simpson (Newquay & Par) 1500m: Lisa Dobriskey (Ashford), Charlene Thomas (Wakefield), Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District) 3000m steeplechase: Helen Clitheroe (Preston) Marathon: Paula Radcliffe (Bedford & County) 20k Race Walk: Joanna Jackson (Redcar) 110m hurdles: Sarah Claxton (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield) 400m hurdles: Eilidh Child (Pitreavie), Perri Shakes- Drayton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets) Pole Vault: Kate Dennison (Sale) Javelin: Goldie Sayers (Belgrave) Hammer: Zoe Derham (Birchfield) Heptathlon: Ennis; Louise Hazel (Birchfield) 4x100m: Emma Ania (Shaftesbruy Barnet), Montell Douglas (Blackheath & Bromley), Jeanette Kwakye (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Anyika Onuora (Liverpool), Laura Turner (Harrow AC) 4x400m: Vicky Barr (Rugby & Northampton), Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), Ohuruogu, Okoro, Sanders, Shakes- Drayton.