Rival Tips Ohuruogu For Olympic Glory

Christiae Ohuruogu is Britain’s only defending Olympic champion on the track, but she has struggled to find her form since Beijing 2008 Olympics.

After suffering a string of injuries, she then famously false-started in the heats of the one-lap event at last summer’s World Championships.

But last month the Nigerian born Ohuruogu ran a storming leg of the 4x400m relay at the World Indoors, her first outing at the competition to help win gold.

British head coach Charles van Commenee has already claimed that the Stratford athlete, who won the 400m world crown outdoors in 2007, is back to her best having watched her in training.

And Allison Felix, who won 400m world silver last summer and is a pal of the British runner after they met warm weather-training, said: “The brilliant thing about Christine is that somehow she manages to put together these amazing races when it counts.

“There’s nothing like competing in a home Olympic Games and since she’s already won Olympic gold, maybe she’ll feel less pressure.

“There are a lot of different medal contenders and the attention is not necessarily all on her so that could help in her favour as well.

“I wouldn’t count anyone out. I think she can do something special.”

Felix, 26, who is still chasing an Olympic individual title having won 200m silver in both Athens and Beijing, as well as 4x400m gold four years ago, said: “I didn’t even know she was going to be competing indoors but I caught her race and to be in that form so early in the season is great.”

Felix doubled up in the 200m and 400m at the World Championships in Daegu last year but has not ruled out swapping the one-lap for the blue riband 100m this summer.

She said: “All I know is that I want individual Olympic gold — that’s always been my goal. I’ll run the 200m for sure and other than that I haven’t decided. I’m going to let my coach make the final decision right before the US trials. But he’s training me as if we’re going to do a double.”

“The 400m is first and there’s just a day before the 200m begins — it’s an even a worse schedule than the World Championships. So the 100m is still on the table because it doesn’t take as much out of you.

“I’ve never run the 100m on a world stage but I’ve always loved it being a sprinter and I feel like I would be comfortable.”