You are in > manchester.com  > News > Ohuruogu "hung out to dry", blasts Backley

Athletics

Ohuruogu "hung out to dry", blasts Backley

08/08/2006

Steve Backley, Britain's former javelin champion, has hit out at the "big administrative mess" that has seen Christine Ohuruogu banned from athletics pending an enquiry.

The Commonwealth 400m champion was a major medal hope for Britain in this week's European Championships in Gothenburg but was suspended from competing after missing a third drugs test in 18 months.

UK Athletics has received widespread criticism for suspending the athlete with many, including Backley, saying the testing process is flawed and is unnecessarily leading to top performers being dragged into a major quagmire.

"It seems as though there is a big administrative mess," Backley, who has recently been appointed by UK Athletics as one of four high-profile mentors to promising sports stars, told Radio Five Live.

"I thing Christine has been hung out to dry as a result of trying to tie up the admin of drug-testing.

"I know from first-hand experience it is tough to know exactly where you are going to be at every point of every day. I don't think for one second Christine has tried to gain an unfair advantage or tried to avoid testing by any means."

He added: "I think she has just been busy preparing for these championships and possibly not been where she thought was going to be on a daily basis. If that is the case and there is talk of her possibly missing the Olympics in the future, that is an absolute tragedy for Christine."

Meanwhile, UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins has admitted that more than 70 British athletes have missed at least one out-of-competition drugs test and that four top athletes missed two meaning they could be banned if they miss one more.

© Adfero Ltd