Athletics: Ohuruogu hopeful of appeal success

Nov 27 2007 Western Mail

A SMILING Christine Ohuruogu emerged from a three-and-a-half hour appeal hearing in London yesterday hopeful her lifetime Olympic ban would be overturned.

The 23-year-old world 400 metres champion still has to wait for the decision of the three-man Sports Dispute Solutions Panel to discover if her plea has been successful.

But, accompanied by one of her brothers, she declared herself “happy” with the way the proceedings had gone as she dashed to a waiting taxi after the hearing at Ely Place Chambers.

“I am not expecting a result today, but I’m quite hopeful,” said Ohuruogu, banned from the Olympics for life by the British Olympic Association after missing three out-of-competition drug tests between October 2005 and July 2006.

She returned from a one-year suspension from all competition, imposed by UK Athletics, to strike gold at this year’s world championships in Osaka less than a month after completing the ban.

Ohuruogu’s barrister Michael Beloff QC, who left the hearing half an hour before his client, appeared hopeful.

He said, “Christine gave evidence and let’s say I’m quietly optimistic.”

Ohuruogu and representatives of the BOA gave evidence to today’s panel, chaired by Nicholas Stewart QC.

He had previously chaired the hearing which gave world triathlon champion Tim Don clearance to compete in the Olympics after a similar transgression of the rules.

Don and judo’s Peter Cousins, who also had his Olympic ban lifted, are the only two British competitors to have previously been banned for missing three out-of-competition tests.

The results of their cases and the fact that 26 athletes worldwide have won similar appeals over the last 11 years are certain to have formed an integral part of Ohuruogu’s case.

She also went into the hearing with the backing of Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics, who stated: “UKA is fully supportive and I’ve written to the appeals committee reiterating she has never failed a drugs test and she has taken many, many tests in the past year.

“I believe the BOA lifetime ban is correct for those who are found with banned substances in their bodies or deliberately try evading a test.

“Christine fell foul of a tough doping administrative error under a new system in its infancy and rightfully paid the price for that.

“But in her case she has been adequately punished and should now be allowed to continue her career.”

Paula Radcliffe and heptathlon star Kelly Sotherton – both outspoken in their condemnation of athletes suspected of taking drugs – have also backed Ohuruogu’s campaign.

Dick Pound, former chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, took a similar view when he stated: “If I was her lawyer, I would say doping offences are governed by the world anti-doping code.

“The system in which we are working says for the first offence you serve a penalty and then you can come back in. It does not call for lifetime denial of access to the Olympics.”