Ghanaian boycotts Olympics race

Anim (r) wants her expenses to be reimbursed

One of Africa's top sprinters, Ghana's Vida Anim, has carried out her threat and refused to compete in the Olympic women's 200m heats.

Anim had earlier told the BBC that she would boycott the race because she was "really angry" over the lack of support from her national committee.

She said she wanted her relevant Olympic expenses to be reimbursed, such as health insurance and physiotherapy.

Team Ghana are refusing to respond to the allegations.

Anim is the only African athlete to openly complain, but she is not alone.

The BBC's African Service reporter in Beijing, Farayi Mungazi, says that many African Olympians say they feel like lambs being led to the slaughter because of poor preparation and lack of proper training facilities.

Sacrifice

Close to tears on Sunday, Anim said: "All they [Ghana's National Olympic Committee] say is: 'Go and get Gold! Go and get Gold.'

"But it's not easy. I get no support - nothing."

Explaining, Anim said: "When I got here and gave them all my bills, they said there was no money here until we get back to Ghana but I know I won't get any."

"We sacrifice a lot. You can't spend thousands of euros and then get here [Beijing] to be given $1,800, which is nothing. How can I pay my bills? How can I pay my house rent?" she asked.

"And so I prefer to stay back in Europe and compete and get my own money. It's better than being here and getting nothing. I have to save my energy."

Anim failed to qualify for the women's 100m final on Sunday.

She won the 100m and 200m at the 2006 African athletics championships.