Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / ATHLETICS
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Olympics | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Snooker | Horse Racing | Cycling | Disability Sport | Sport Relief | Other sport... | TV/Radio Schedule | 606 | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Olympics Contents:  Results | Medals table | Olympics map | Team GB | Meet Monkey | Archery | Athletics | Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Boxing | Canoeing | Cycling | Diving | Equestrian | Fencing | Football | Gymnastics | Handball | Hockey | Judo | Modern Pentathlon | Rowing | Sailing | Shooting | Softball | Swimming | Table Tennis | Taekwondo | Tennis | Triathlon | Volleyball | Weightlifting | Wrestling | Paralympics | London 2012

Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 15:01 GMT

Ohuruogu case 'boosts doping war'

Christine Ohuruogu Christine Ohuruogu's fight to overturn her Olympic ban has boosted the battle against doping, not weakened it, says Olympic medallist Katharine Merry.

"This didn't just make the back pages of the papers, it was on the front, too," Merry told the BBC.

"It's driven home the responsibility athletes have. This is their career."

Ohuruogu was banned from the Olympics after being given a one-year suspension for missing three drugs tests but successfully challenged the punishment.

The 23-year-old Briton, who won 400m gold at this year's World Championships, claimed there were mitigating circumstances for her actions.

"Hopefully we won't have any more cases of missing three, as there is no excuse for it now - athletes are fully aware of what they've got to do "
Katharine Merry

The British Olympic Association (BOA) agreed and decided to clear her to run in future Games.

It means she will be able to compete in Beijing, where she will be one of the country's leading medal hopes.

However, there is likely to be a backlash from some people, those who feel the BOA's decision to clear Ohuruogu has set a dangerous precedent and damaged the fight against doping.

Merry says that rather than opening up more grey areas of uncertainty, Ohuruogu's case had made the lines of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour more clear.

"All athletes I speak to are more than well aware now," said Merry, who won Olympic 400m bronze in 2000.

606: DEBATE
"She deserves another chance and hopefully she'll do us proud in Beijjing"
MN

"We have a number of athletes across all sports who are on one or two missed tests. It just so happens the athletes who've had these BOA bans lifted have missed three.

"Hopefully we won't have any more cases of missing three, as there is no excuse for it now. Athletes are fully aware of what they've got to do."

However, the message does not seem to be getting through to everyone.

UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner has revealed that three other British athletes have missed two tests.

Meanwhile, the decision to clear Ohuruogu has delighted British team-mate Kelly Sotherton.

"She wasn't a drugs cheat, she actually missed three drugs tests - that doesn't make her a cheat "
Kelly Sotherton

"She wasn't a drugs cheat, she actually missed three drugs tests - that doesn't make her a cheat," the heptathlete, an outspoken anti-doping campaigner, told BBC 1xtra.

"But it must be an immense weight off her shoulders and I can't imagine how emotional she must feel right now - her and her family and her coaching staff.

"I'm just overwhelmed for her, because the epitome of our sport is to be Olympic champion and now she's got that opportunity for next year and also London 2012."

Darren Campbell, who won Olympic 200m silver in 2000, is also pleased for Ohuruogu but says she may find it hard to win over all her critics.

"Some people will always believe that she did something wrong," he told Radio 5 Live.

"I'd urge them to support her. She went to the World Championships and did extremely well. Now I believe she will go from strength to strength and do our country proud."



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:

UK athletics chief backs Ohuruogu (27 Nov 07 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu earns Olympic reprieve (27 Nov 07 |  Athletics )
Pound backs Ohuruogu ban appeal (01 Nov 07 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu targets Olympic reprieve (30 Aug 07 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu 'has good appeal chance' (03 Sep 07 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu named GB Athlete of Year (27 Oct 07 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu claims gold for Britain (29 Aug 07 |  Athletics )
Christie defends Ohuruogu slip-up (09 Aug 06 |  Athletics )
More than 70 Brits missed tests (08 Aug 06 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu is hit by one-year ban (15 Sep 06 |  Athletics )
Ohuruogu banned for missing tests (06 Aug 06 |  Athletics )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Athletics on the BBC
BBC London Marathon index
Osaka World Championships
International Athletics
UK Athletics
How to get involved in athletics
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

Sport Homepage | Olympics | Football | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Motorsport | Boxing | Athletics | Snooker | Horse Racing | Cycling | Disability Sport | Sport Relief | Other sport... | TV/Radio Schedule | 606 | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Olympics Contents:  Results | Medals table | Olympics map | Team GB | Meet Monkey | Archery | Athletics | Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Boxing | Canoeing | Cycling | Diving | Equestrian | Fencing | Football | Gymnastics | Handball | Hockey | Judo | Modern Pentathlon | Rowing | Sailing | Shooting | Softball | Swimming | Table Tennis | Taekwondo | Tennis | Triathlon | Volleyball | Weightlifting | Wrestling | Paralympics | London 2012

^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©