Athletics: OHURUOGU DRUG BLOW; European Athletics Championships.Byline: By LEE REYNOLDS CHRISTINE OHURUOGU Christine Ohuruogu (born May 17, 1984 in east London) is an English sprinter of Nigerian heritage who specialises in the 400 metres - the event for which she is the current World Champion. Ohuruogu's Personal Best of 49. will miss the European Championships after she was suspended for missing three compulsory drug tests in 18 months. The Commonwealth 400 metres champion was seen as a real British medal hope for Gothenburg. She could now face a fight to lift the provisional suspension. If found guilty, Ohuruogu, 22, from east London, faces the prospect of a two-year drugs ban. Ohuruogu, who defeated reigning Olympic and world champion Tonique Williams-Darling at the Commonwealth Games, said: "Due to changes in my training schedule, I was unable to fulfil this obligation on three occasions. "What I want to do at this stage is to apologise for the distress and concern I have caused the people closest to me and UK Athletics, who, at the end of the day, we all understand are trying to uphold an incredibly hard rule. "Every race is important to me and my duty is to always do my best and I am massively disappointed that this suspension means I cannot represent my country at the European Championships." There was more bad news for the British team when a tearful Dean Macey revealed he is facing yet another injury battle. The injury-jinxed 28-year-old decathlete de·cath·lete n. An athlete who participates in a decathlon. picked up a groin problem before flying out to Gothenburg. But the Commonwealth champion has vowed to do all he can to be ready for the start of the 10- event campaign on Thursday. "The medical team are working to get me on the track - pain is no problem for me," Macey said, before holding his head in his hands. "This has kicked me in the butt again and ruined all of the hard work I have done. Since 2004 I've never been in such good shape, until I picked up the niggle nig·gle intr.v. nig·gled, nig·gling, nig·gles 1. To be preoccupied with trifles or petty details. 2. To find fault constantly and trivially; carp. See Synonyms at quibble. in my groin just before coming here. It came out of the blue." A fully-fit Macey would be among the favourites to win gold, along with the Czech Republic's Roman Sebrle. Who to watch & when TODAY Kelly Sotherton in heptathlon heptathlon: see under decathlon. heptathlon Women's athletics competition. Contestants take part in seven different track-and-field events: 100-m hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, and 200- and 800-m runs. . Dwain Chambers in the100m heats. TOMORROW Heptathlon ends. Men's 100m final. WEDNESDAY Men's 400m final THURSDAY Women's 400m final. Start of decathlon decathlon (dĭkăth`lŏn), in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. . Men's 200m final. FRIDAY Jade Johnson and Kelly Sotherton in long jump qualifiers. Decathlon finish. SATURDAY Phillips Idowu and Nathan Douglas in triple jump. Men's 4x100m relay semis SUNDAY Women's long jump final. Men's 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay finals. CAPTION(S): MISSING OUT: 400 metres star Christine Ohuruogu' CHOKED: Macey yesterday |
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