• Medical results still pending, says athletics body
• Briton takes on Russians in world champion's absence

Caster Semenya's future remains in doubt, with no further progress having been made on the gender verification tests that began last summer following the South African teenager's world title win in the 800 metres.

The International Association of Athletics Federations said today that the medical results were still pending in the case of the 19-year-old and discussions with Semenya's legal representatives, Dewey and LeBouef, are ongoing.

That will come as a disappointment to Semenya's supporters who had been promised a resolution months ago, a public announcement having been planned to coincide with the IAAF council meeting in Monaco last November. Instead the case drags on.

"The IAAF and Caster Semenya's representatives are still in discussions with a view to resolving the issues surrounding her participation in athletics," said Nick Davies, the IAAF communications director. "As a result no further comments will be made on this subject by the IAAF until further notice."

Semenya's absence at the World Indoor Championships, at which the 800m heats begin tomorrow, will be conspicuous. The Limpopo province teenager would have been the clear favourite to take the indoor title; instead Britain's Jenny Meadows will compete for the gold medal against the in-form Russians Yevgeniya Zinurova and Mariya Savinova. All three have broken two minutes this season, the only women to have done so.

Semenya has not raced since the controversy broke. She had been expected to time her comeback with the start of the domestic season in February but confusion among South Africa's sporting governing bodies over whether she is eligible to compete has clouded the issue. The IAAF, however, insists she is not officially suspended from competition.

The heats for the men's 60m begin tomorrow with Britain's Dwain Chambers in pole position to take the gold medal following the suspension of the American, Ivory Williams. The 24-year-old tested positive for marijuana last month, after winning the US trials in a world-leading time of 6.49sec. A routine drugs test revealed traces of Carboxy THC, a marijuana metabolite, invoking an immediate three-month ban. A reduced sanction from the standard two-year ban is possible but Williams' results from the US trials have been erased.

That makes Chambers officially the fastest man in the world this year, after he ran 6.50 to win the UK trials last month. The 31-year-old already has a world indoor silver medal from Valencia two years ago and will hope to improve on this.

His performances at recent championships suggest he is in the form to do so, having won gold at the European Indoor Championships last year with a new European record time of 6.42 sec. If Chambers can get anywhere near that time again, he is tipped to win his first ever world title.There will be additional incentive for him to do so. With the prize money for the top spot set at £38,000 the win would provide a huge financial boost to Chambers who is still some way off repaying his debts of £100,000 to the IAAF – the total sum of the prize money he won while using performance enhancing drugs.

• Caster Semenya
• Athletics

• Governing body still in discussions over gender status
• IAAF will make no decision 'until further notice'

Caster Semenya's future in athletics remained under a cloud today after it was revealed that no further progress had been been made in ascertaining her gender status.

Semenya underwent tests conducted by a panel of medical experts after winning last summer's world 800 metres gold medal in Berlin and the results were expected last November.

But the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which had been expected to announce the findings at its council meeting in Monaco, revealed the tests had still not been completed.

Today at a World Indoor Championships press conference in Doha, the IAAF announced Semenya's case had still not been concluded and reiterated that, until it is, no statement can be made.

"The IAAF and Caster Semenya's representatives are still in discussions with a view to resolving the issues surrounding her participation in athletics," said Nick Davies, the IAAF communications director. "As a result no further comments will be made on this subject by the IAAF until further notice."

• Caster Semenya
• Athletics

• British sprinter has 'had enough of the past'
• 'That relationship has to be terminated and it is terminated'

Dwain Chambers has admitted to severing all ties with Victor Conte, the man behind the Balco doping scandal that led to Chambers' two-year ban from the sport in 2003, and whom he regarded as a father figure.

Chambers, who is hoping to win gold in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Doha which start tomorrow, had been widely criticised for his ongoing relationship with Conte who – as recently as last year – was advising him on legal performance-enhancing methods, including a breathing apparatus.

"As far as I'm concerned that relationship has to be terminated and it is terminated," said Chambers. "I just want a clear run now, I just want to concentrate on running, I've had enough of the past. I know it's always going to be referred to but I just want to concentrate on what happens in 2010."

Following Chambers' gold-medal win at the European Indoors in Turin last year, and the news of Conte's involvement, Britain's head coach, Charles van Commenee, promptly intervened and instructed Chambers to end the relationship. "Yes, that's right," said Van Commenee, "it was the week after Turin, when his book came out and that was a whole theme about Dwain Chambers and the history of Dwain Chambers. He made some smart decisions since then. He's an experienced athlete who has matured quite a bit."

The news will come as a relief to the sport. Chambers has been in impressive form this season, holding the second fastest 60m time indoors this year – 6.50 seconds, bettered only by America's Ivory Williams with 6.49 seconds, a time that has been expunged from the record books following the American's positive test for marijuana. But many would find it difficult to stomach the thought of Chambers achieving a podium finish at the World Indoors with assistance from a convicted criminal.

The maturing of Chambers has afforded the 31 year-old new opportunities, including an invitation to speak at the UK Athletics' pre-championship press conference – "the fact that he's in the lion's den should tell you something," said van Commenee with a wry smile – a first for the Londoner since his fall from grace.

"For what it's worth it's a great opportunity to actually be invited here," said Chambers, who has been largely shunned since his return to the sport. "I've been working on building relationships, trying to do things right and get myself back into the fold of being an athlete and do the best I can as a competitor and try and go out there and show support for the British team and the British members that are alongside me.

"A lot has happened in the past and I want to just use this opportunity to put all that behind me and use this as a fresh start for everybody. So for me to be accepted here is a great feeling."

The terms and conditions of such an invitation have certainly been made clear and Chambers has ruled out any possibility of a legal challenge to compete at the Commonwealth Games this year. "None whatsoever. As far as I'm concerned I've lived that life and it didn't work. I'm just going to concentrate on the opportunities I do have. I want to be in Doha and the European Championships."

Chambers, and his team-mate Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, will compete in the 60m heats tomorrow.

• Dwain Chambers
• Athletics

• Ivory Williams to miss World Indoor Championships
• Trell Kimmons called up as replacement to US team

The American sprinter Ivory Williams has been banned for three months and will miss the World Indoor Championships after testing positive for marijuana following his victory in the trial race in Albuquerque last month.

Williams was one of the favourites to land the 60m title in Doha after running a world best 6.49 seconds at the New Mexico meet.

But the US Anti-Doping Agency has revealed there were metabolites found in a sample given by the former world junior 100m gold medalist. Because marijuana and similar cannabinoids are listed as specified substances, a reduced sanction from the standard two-year ban is possible.

Williams's time has now been erased from the record books while his place in the US team will be taken by Trell Kimmons.

• Athletics
• Drugs in sport

11 March 2010 –Competitors in the second indoor meet of the season in China held in Nanjing from Wednesday to Thursday (10 – 11 March) naturally didn’t feature in the Chinese team for the World Indoor Championships as they have travelled to Doha already. But there still were a few stars in this meet with 22-year-old Su Xiongfeng rising to a new level in the men’s Long Jump.

• Jones joins WBNA's Tulsa Shock
• Sprinter not hoping for 'redemption'

Marion Jones, the former sprinter, has signed for the Women's National Basketball Association team the Tulsa Shock and is hoping to launch a new career after losing five Olympic medals for using steroids and being jailed for lying to federal prosecutors.

Jones, who was awarded gold medals for winning the 100m, 200m and 4 x 400m relays at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and two bronzes in the long jump and 4x100m, admitted two years ago that she had taken steroids before, during and after the Games and was stripped of her five medals. She also spent about six months in a Texas federal prison for lying about doping and her role in a cheque fraud.

Jones said playing for the Shock is not about her past but instead fulfils her dream of playing basketball against some of the best players in the world.

"The word redemption is not in my vocabulary," Jones said at a news conference, flanked by the team's president, Steve Swetoha, and coach Nolan Richardson. "I'm a competitor, I want to play against the best in the world, and I know that I will be doing that."

• Drugs in sport
• Athletics