LONDON, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - British sprinter Dwain Chambers lost his bid to compete in the Beijing Olympics after failing to get a temporary High Court injunction on Friday against his lifetime Olympic ban.

Chambers, 30, had gone to court hoping to overturn the British Olympic Association (BOA) bylaw which perevented him from competing in China.

He served a two-year suspension after testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003, but argued that the BOA's additional punishment was an unfair restraint of trade.

Chambers has the right of appeal against the decision but his lawyer Nick Collins hinted the fight may have ended when he said: 'The difficulty of challenging the rules of a governing body was always going to be a tough.'

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan insisted the verdict was a vindication of the bylaw.

'I regret that Dwain Chambers, an athlete of outstanding talent, should by his own action put himself out of the running to shine in the Olympics,' he said outside the High Court.

'But the BOA has rules which are recognised and understood by all Olympic athletes. This bylaw has been in place for 16 years at the request and for the benefit of our athletes.

'We will continue to send a powerful and important message that no-one found guilty of serious drug-cheating offences should be allowed to shine in the team GB vest at the Olympic Games.'

Mr Justice Mackay, who issued his ruling 24 hours after listening to the conflicting arguments in court, said Chambers' right to work was not a good enough reason to dismiss the ban.

The High Court judge added that a decision in the athlete's favour would have meant 'the harmony and management of the British team would have been upset'.

But he did hint that an earlier and better prepared case may have been successful when he said: 'Many people both inside and outside sport would see this bylaw as unlawful.

'In my judgment it would take a much better case than the claimant has presented to persuade me to overturn the status quo at this stage and compel his selection for the Games.'

The International Olympic Committee welcomed the judge's decision and communications director Giselle Davies said: 'We welcome the court's judgement. We believe in a zero tolerance approach to athletes who take banned drugs.'

UK Athletics joined the chorus of approval for the verdict.

'We have always maintained out supported of the by-law and are delighted it has been maintained in this instance,' a UKA statement read.

Chambers, who refused to comment when he left court, looks to have reached the end of a bitter battle that dragged athletics into the mire again.

British selectors will name their final squad for the Games on Sunday at the latest, so any the hearing would have to take place before the High Court closes on Friday.

Chambers had already achieved the qualifying time for the 100m when he won the British trials in 10.00 seconds on Saturday.

However, when the British team was named on Monday only Simeon Williamson was named for the 100m, with two places left unfilled until the legal case was decided.