So, we have a medal at last - & from a slightly unexpected quarter, at least as far as I'm concerned: I'd never heard of Greg Rutherford afore yesterday, yet he goes & pulls a silver bunny out of the hat! :D Good on 'im. He seems a very personable young man - in spite of the hair... ;) - & at 19, a good prospect for the future, which is more than can be said about most members of athletics Team GB ATM, more's the pity! :cry1 Looks as though we've waved goodbye to any medal prospects in the heptathlon, though (neither Kelly S nor "Tadpole" was realistically going to take the title away from Kluft, but even so....! :rolleyes: ), & Deano's out of the decathalon...! :eek

I've got round to it, at last! :rolleyes:

I am disenchanted with the state of GB athletics. There is too much 'talking the talk' and not enough 'walking the walk'. Congrats to Red Rutherford for his silver, but where on earth more medals are going to come from, is beyond me.

Good on Joice, at the tender age of 32 and with no funding, she makes the 100m final and finishes higher than her male counterparts. She's changed her coach recently, perhaps that should tell TPTB something. Nah! they'll not be listening.

Okay, Tadpole improved her PB and finished in the position she had aimed for. Kelly, oh! deary me, if she doesn't get that javelin sorted out PDQ she may as well concentrate on the long jump. :huh: Is Macey ever going to be fit?

I despair sometimes and if I was a swimmer I'd be furious. :angry: They go to the European Championships, win 13 medals in total and 2 are GOLD. How much coverage do they get? Little to none, whereas the athletics is nearly wall-to- wall. :guns

edited 19.55, Rhys Williams, son of JJ Williams the Welsh RU winger, gains bronze in 400m hurdles.
Becky Lyne, from Sheffield, wins bronze in 800m.

* Three down, ten to go! :hat

You & I both! :( Not a lot to shout about at the moment, is there? It's really depressing, especially with 2012 just over the horizon! :eek However, just been reading this on The Times site:

Farah stays focused on breaking golden duck

by David Powell

Our correspondent talks to Britain's last hope of individual success in Gothenburg

THE country of his birth may be on the brink of civil war but it is too long ago now since he left Somalia for Mo Farah to let that trouble him. Farah’s mind these days rarely switches off from athletics and the task of restoring British pride in men’s long-distance track running. He has made a promising start, but the job picks up significantly in importance tomorrow.

Farah was born in Mogadishu but departed with his family at the age of 4, living for five years in Djibouti before moving to England, where he arrived speaking not a word of English. Separated from his parents and living with an aunt in Middlesex, he expressed himself through football until his school PE teacher persuaded him to try athletics.

By the age of 16 Farah had won a junior international 1,500 metres race for Britain and had led the national team to victory in the European junior cross country championships. Fast-forward to the present and, unless one of his team-mates causes an upset between now and then, he will line up tomorrow as Britain’s last shot at a gold medal in an individual event at the European Championships.

Both Ian Stewart, one of five British winners of the title, and Alan Storey, Farah’s coach, acknowledge that the Briton is a genuine contender, but urge that it is recognised how tricky is the task facing him. There is no obvious front-runner to stretch the field and take the sting out of the fast finishers, of which Farah is one, but not the quickest. Whether any of the non-kickers are prepared to try their luck with an aggressive early pace is uncertain, but one sure thing is that Farah will not be one of them. “If he leads he would be taking it to athletes who are just as strong as him,” Storey said. “The challenge is the variety of races that could be thrown at him and the winning time could be anything between 13min 10sec and 14:10.”

At the quickest end of that, Farah would be stretched but not, in theory, out of his depth. Not after his performance in Heusden, Belgium, last month when he ran the fastest 5,000 metres by a Briton during his lifetime. Born in March 1983, eight months after David Moorcroft set what was then a world record 13:00.41, and is still the British record, Farah recorded 13:09.40.

Either side of Farah’s 21second improvement over 5,000 metres, he finished runner-up in the European Cup 3,000 metres and defeated Britain’s 1,500 metres specialists to lead the domestic contingent, in third place, at the London Grand Prix. Stewart, who won the title in 1969 and now directs Britain’s showpiece meetings, said that Farah’s best chance would be to kick from 600 metres out. Does he think that Farah will win a medal? “Yes,” Stewart said. Could it be gold? “It could. He has the ability to win.”

The European title has never been out of British hands for this long. It has been in Italian and Spanish possession since Jack Buckner was the last Briton to win it in 1986, following the triumphs of Brendan Foster (1974), Stewart (1969), Bruce Tulloh (1962) and Sydney Wooderson (1946). Last year, Moorcroft advised Farah to “live, sleep and dream the sport”. This he has done to the extent that Storey has to tell him to take a night off from from time to time and go to the cinema, for a meal, or for a beer with his mates. But, even socially, Somalia rarely comes up in conversation.

Farah appears to have little knowledge of the stand-off between the transitional federal government in Somalia and the Islamic Courts Union, which has secured control of Mogadishu. Under the ICU, there are fewer guns on the street but some measures have proved unpopular, such as a ban on watching World Cup football.

“I have not been concentrating on it,” Farah said. He has no family remaining in Mogadishu to concern him and Storey said: “Somalia is no part of his current life. He is very happy with life in the UK.” And UK Athletics is happy to have him. Especially if he spares Britain the embarrassment of returning home from a European Championships without a gold medal for the first time.

* One to watch & cheer on? Let's hope so. I must say, when I saw the name, I had assumed he was Asian, so was a little surprised to discover that he originally hails from the Horn of Africa - not that it matters!

Sounds as though she's been treated pretty shabbily & it's a wondered she hasn't just chucked it in, especially at her age! She & the other girls must stand at least an outside chance in the 4x100 tomorrow. Not sure about the chaps - :rolleyes: - though the 4x400 must be in with a shout...

And she couldn't even get that right in the main competition yesterday... :angry:

God knows... :rolleyes:

I was actually unaware they were taking place... :o

Most of the reports I read yesterday referred to Rhys' dad. I presume he'll be in the relay team? Good on Becky! :)

Four down (Marlon Devonish), nine to go - & not many days left in which to do it...? :huh:

I had read the article about Mo Farah 'cos I'd saved up my spending money this week to buy The Times today. :rolleyes: I'll read it on the 'net in future. I did know of his Somalia connection ( I am force-fed athletics and swimming on occasions, when I can't escape :lol1 and therefore pick up a lot of useless/ful information from time to time.)

Another article from said paper, which you may have come across already. It shows that we are not the only ones bemoaning the demise of athletics in the UK.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7713-2309253,00.html

Still we are through to all the relay finals. :eek

Thanks for that: I hadn't actually seen it.

Not to mention a second silver, courtesy of Nathan Douglas in the triple jump, & a 4th bronze through Andy Turner in the 110m hurdles! :clap Shame about Jo Pavey, though. :(

P.S. I see the Tykes managed to beat Colchester 2-1 away! ;)

I had gone off......... before the guys had won their medals.

So, :clap for Nathan, who left it a bit late.

:clap for Andy, who is keeping the hurdles alive,
and
:hug2 for Jo who just hasn't got the finish needed to win a race at this level.

7 medals reqiured on the last day, I don't think so somehow! :guns


2-1 to the Tykes, I'm so pleased. I may even see if I can get to Oakwell next week, they play Southampton.

Dunno where to start... A flurry of medals (relatively speaking...! :rolleyes: ) on the last day: a gold (at last! :rolleyes: ), two silvers & a 5th bronze, but not the seven required fully to preserve Team GB's dignity... - & I missed all but Mo Farah's silver & the boys' 4x400m relay...! :( Unfortunately, I bought an electronic pet feeder (programmable to deliver two meals over a seven-day period) for the cat yesterday at Argos afternoon. It was available only from an Argos Extra store, however, so not from the one at the top of my road! :( A journey further afield was therefore called for, but when I got it home & tried it out, one side didn't work, so I had to take it back today - after interviewing a cat-sitter to ensure she'll be looked after properly while I'm at my mother's for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Wish now I'd thought to programme the VCR while I was out...

Feel disappointed for young Mo, especially as a bit more experience might have given us our only individual gold... Having now seen him "in the flesh", as it were, there's no way I'd have mistaken him for an Asian, if I'd seen a picture of him before I read the press articles...! That said, was thinking earlier in the week that there seemed to be an unprecedented number of athletes at these European championships competing for a country other than the land of their birth (Francis Obikwelu, Nigeria/Portugal, Andrew Howe US/Italy, Lorna Kiplagat Kenya/Netherlands & Elvan Abeylegesse Ethiopa/Turkey; Eunice Barber was born in Sierra Leone, but has been competing for France for a year or two now, so am not sure she counts...), so was a bit taken aback to find we had one of our own. Not that I'm complainin'... The boy did us proud - & with a wee bit more experience, who knows...?!!! [8th in the medal table instead of 10th...!]

Would love to know what was behind Darren Campbell's reported outburst...! :eek

* Off topic, but pleased to see Liverpool beat Chelski in the charity Shield! :)

Three silvers I think? Unless someone or some team were disqualified and I hadn't realised. :rolleyes:
4x100 men, gold.
4x100 women, silver.
4x400 men, silver.
5000m men, silver.
800m men, bronze, (from a guy from Barnsley :eek )

Agreed, but give him time, he seems to have the right attitude. He has been here for quite some time now, since he was about 9 years-old, so he well qualifies. :clap This swapping around of allegiance was something we commented on during the Olympics. It was fairly obvious there that monetary inducements might be playing a part in the flag exchanges that were taking place.

I wonder if there will be any coverage of the Junior World Championships from Beijing next week. I doubt it, except for a brief report if anyone comes up trumps.

My guess is having to run with druggy Chambers or things written about him in the press. I don't know what they might be? :rolleyes: He was very upset and emotional whatever it was!

Me too. :clap

* Off topic, this gained a small space in yesterday's Times.

Modern Pentathlon: The Great Britain women's team of Mhairi Spence, Louise Helyer and Sarah Gomersall won the gold medal in the World Junior Championships in Shanghai yesterday. Spence added to the achievement by finishing second in the individual event.
Well done them, pity no sports programme could be bothered to mention it.

:angry:
I appear to have succeeded with the quotes. :rofl But what the hell is 'reqiured'? :err
That'll teach you to buy things from Argos and not Harrods. :lol1

From today's Post

Yorkshire athletes pick up medals in Gothenburg
MEDAL WINNERS: County duo take silver and bronze

YORKSHIRE athletes Sam Ellis and Emily Freeman helped to restore some pride in British athletics yesterday as the duo picked up medals at the European Championships in Gothenburg.
Team GB has been criticised for its lack of success in Sweden but Barnsley's Ellis, won a bronze in the 800m while Wakefield's Freeman, with her colleagues Enna Ania, Joice Maduaka and Anyika Onuora, was part of the 4x100m relay side that picked up a silver.
Britain also won a silver in the 5,000m through Mo Farah and the men's 4x400m relay while the quartet of Dwain Chambers, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis picked up GB's only gold in the men's 4x100m.

[QOUTE]

Oops, my mistake, bad maths! Sorry! :o

The Indy seems to think he hails from Sheffield:

The 24-year-old Sheffield athlete, whose coaching adviser, John Anderson, was refused accreditation to attend these Championships by UKAthletics, forced himself back into contention [...]

What was that all about? :eek

I wasn't questioning his attitude (he clearly gave it all he had & was quoted in this morning's papers as saying he was "a bit disappointed" at losing out by only 0.09 sec, bless his little cotton socks), nor his entitlement to run for his adopted country (he sounded very English in the brief trackside interview I saw after the race), merely expressing mild surprise that Team GB should be the one to benefit from the contribution of such a talented athlete! ;)

Aye, I remember that well. That thing about Sam Ellis' coach wasn't the only interesting snippet I picked up from the Indy on the way home this evening: apparently Alistair Cragg, who represented Ireland in the 5,000m yesterday (& crashed out with a knee injury), was born in South Africa!

Yeah, that's usually how it works, isn't it! :rolleyes: See quote below, though...

All is revealed - after a fashion!

Campbell angry at losing medals

Darren Campbell has said that losing two medals because of Dwain Chambers' doping abuse was behind his move to boycott a lap of honour in Gothenburg. His 2002 relay gold and 2003 world silver were taken away because Chambers used performance-enhancing drugs. Campbell refused to celebrate GB's European Championships 4x100m win. "I felt that the fact that I have lost two medals because of what occurred with Dwain, it wasn't appropriate," he told a London radio station. "I made my feelings clear to the management and I don't really want to discuss it too much further."

It is believed Campbell did not want Chambers in the team following his two-year ban for taking the steroid THG. But he has called on Chambers to expose the people who introduced him to performance-enhancing drugs. Campbell added: "I stood by Dwain with regard to not feeling that he was solely accountable. I just felt that in return he should really expose the people that took him over there so we can protect another youngster from getting into that situation." The 32-year-old will make an announcement on his future after the World Junior Championships in Beijing this week, where he will be helping some of Britain's rising stars.

Meanwhile, former GB sprinter John Regis has criticised Campbell's actions in refusing to take part in the lap of honour. "I'm disappointed with Darren. He should have aired his concerns in private and not in public," Regis told BBC Radio Five Live. "If he felt so strongly against the situation with Dwain, then he had the choice of standing aside and letting someone else take his place. Darren doesn't pick the team. The team officials made the decision, but Darren had the chance not to run. He has been a great ambassador for British athletics and he is one of the best athletes this country has seen but I think he has got it wrong and his actions have taken away the sheen of the team winning European gold."

Regis added that Campbell's stance against Chambers was confusing as he is coached by Linford Christie, who served a two-year suspension for taking banned steroids in 1999. "For Darren to say that Dwain is one of the reasons why he isn't competing opens a new can of worms," he said. "You can't say no to Dwain when your own coach has failed a drugs test."

Hear, hear, though I'm a wee bit surprised the Beeb didn't mention it, especially as it's an established Olympic discipline... :rolleyes:

Indeed you have! :clap

Or "QOUTE", for that matter! ;) If you get the spelling wrong, the system can't "read" the instruction!

True, but I could just as easily have ended up with a faulty one there - & the trek back to Harrod's for a replacement would have taken me a helluva lot longer...!

I didn't think you were questioning his attitude. :D I guess I'll have to be more careful how I express myself, what goes on in my head doesn't always translate properly onto the page. :)

The Indy knows nowt! :rolleyes: The Post has it as Barnsley and I think, though don't quote me on this, the commentator mentioned it during the programme.


I obviously hadn't deleted the 'QOUTE' before you had named and shamed me! :guns ( Joke)

Didn't realise you'd posted before me! My post took me ages to sort out: I was almost at the end of it when I inadvertently touched a key which made everything I'd typed up to then vanish into the ether! :angry: Had to reconstitute the lot! :eek Thanks for putting me straight...

I thought I had read something along these lines in the dim and distant past! There is no love lost between the two camps. :rolleyes:

The split in British sprinting that lies behind Campbell's cold shoulder

Campbell's anger at Chambers' failure to expose 'cheats'

Duncan Mackay in Gothenburg
Tuesday August 15, 2006
The Guardian


Darren Campbell made a clear distinction yesterday: Dwain Chambers could be forgiven his weakness in succumbing to designer drugs, but not his failure to name names afterwards.
Campbell had initially welcomed Chambers back when his two-year suspension ended last November but is angry that when he confessed publicly to having used drugs the following month during an interview with the BBC, he failed to provide any information about who had initiated the plan.
Chambers had tested positive after moving to California to train with the former Ukrainian coach Remi Korchemny, who was involved in a conspiracy with Victor Conte, the founder and owner of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) in San Francisco, to provide banned performance-enhancing drugs across a wide range of sports. Both were later found guilty by an American court.
"For me it is more a case that I stood by Dwain with regard to not feeling that he was solely accountable," said Campbell, who was part of Britain's 4x100m relay team that won a gold medal in the European Championships in Gothenburg on Sunday alongside Chambers, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis. It was Britain's only gold of the competition.

"I just felt that in return he should really expose the people that took him over there so we can protect another youngster from getting into that situation," added Campbell.

At the time he tested positive in August 2003, Chambers was represented by Stellar Athletics, a management company set up the previous year by John Regis, a former rival of Linford Christie's. Therein lies the story of a feud that has split British sprinting for the past decade.

Regis and Chambers had previously worked with Nuff Respect, the agency founded and owned by Christie. In 2004 Chambers agreed to pay a five-figure sum to Nuff Respect in an out-of-court settlement after they sued him in a dispute over a £500,000 sponsorship deal. Chambers has since left Stellar Athletics and is now represented by Cubie Seegobin, a US-based agent.

Campbell has been Nuff Respect's biggest client since Chambers left. Christie has also coached Campbell for several years and has recently joined UK Athletics as an official paid mentor, despite being banned by the British Olympic Association from ever receiving accreditation for the Olympic Games because he was suspended for two years in 1999 after testing positive for anabolic steroids.

Stellar Athletics, whose current clients include Devonish, has now stopped any of its athletes working with Christie in his new role at UK Athletics. It is upset because it claims Christie approached Greg Rutherford last week after he won a silver medal in the long jump at the European Championships.

"We obviously feel very uncomfortable about it because it is a conflict of interests," said Mark Brodie, a spokesman for Stellar. "He is not only a mentor but also a manager. He could use this position to approach people to represent them. We do not want someone who has a reputation tarnished by drugs working with our young athletes and other people in the sport feel the same way."

Regis, the 1990 European 200m champion, has also accused Campbell of being a hypocrite, the charge that he had denied on Sunday. "For Darren to say that Dwain is one of the reasons why he isn't competing opens a new can of worms," he said. "You can't say no to Dwain when your own coach has failed a drugs test."

Christie and Regis, Britain's two top sprinters for most of the late 1980s and early 1990s have spent most of the last 20 years in dispute. That was apart from the brief period when Regis worked with Nuff Respect and joined a boycott of British meetings - initiated by Christie - in 1995 over the payment they were receiving to appear. Regis' decision to set up a rival management company, however, has put the pair at loggerheads once again, with Campbell firmly backing Christie.

Sue Barrett, Christie's spokeswoman, denied that Nuff Respect had approached Rutherford. "Linford did not approach Greg, other than to say good luck as he passed us on our way to the long jump final," she said. "If you can't say, 'good luck' to someone it's getting a bit stupid."

Chambers was ranked as Britain's top sprinter in 2002 and 2003, a period during which he has subsequently admitted taking drugs which had arguably prevented Campbell from holding the position, which would have carried financial rewards in increased appearance fees and bonuses from sponsors.

As a result of Chambers' actions, Campbell was also stripped of the medals he won as part of the relay teams at the 2002 European Championships and 2003 World Championships, where the British team did not receive any prize money after they were disqualified and had their silver medals taken away after Chambers tested positive.

"I just felt that the fact that I have lost two medals because of what occurred with Dwain, I just didn't feel it was appropriate to do the lap of honour," said Campbell. "I made my feelings clear to the management and I didn't feel it was appropriate.

"Someone had to make a stand for the sport. I did make my feelings clear about running with Dwain. And I did consider not running. I am a human being with human being emotions. I love running for my country and I've never let them down. I stuck by Dwain, but Dwain didn't stand by the sport by exposing the cheats. I've done my bit and I can be proud of myself for that."

* I have read something during the coverage of the European Championships about the problem of accreditation for certain coaches, if I can find it again I'll post.*

** I've had the same problem on occasions, losing a post by simply touching a wrong key; it's so infuriating when it happens.:angry: **

*** Probably I should have put the link in for this, it's such a long article. :err ***

Paula isn't too impressed either with the choice of Christie as a mentor for younger athletes.

Radcliffe attacks Christie role

Radcliffe is an outspoken critic of doping in sport
World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe has hit out at UK Athletics' decision to appoint Linford Christie as a mentor to British athletes.
Christie's role has attracted controversy because of his two-year ban for taking banned steroids in 1999.

Asked if she thought Christie's role is a good idea, Radcliffe said: "Personally I don't think it is, no.

"We have to make sure that the people in that mentor role have an integrity and strong sense of ethics and morals."

Radcliffe added: "They must have achievements that the athletes can look up to and can trust in and believe in.

"As a country we're leading the way in making sure that athletes know that when they come into the sport they know that they are competing fairly.

"If you do take shortcuts then you're not only cheating yourself and your fellow competitors but you're also cheating your country and your supporters.

"I don't think it's a mistake on the coaching side of things, but I don't think he should be in that mentor role."

Christie has consistently denied any wrongdoing but was not involved in London's bid for the 2012 Olympics.

* I was quite impressed with her performance during the EC, she often talked more sense than some and didn't duck the difficult questions.* :clap

Surely we'll get to see this at some point, if nowt else:

Aikines-Aryeetey wins sprint gold

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey won the 100m at the IAAF World Junior Championships to cement his reputation as one of Britain's brightest athletics talents. The 17-year-old claimed gold in a season's best time of 10.37 seconds to secure Great Britain's first medal of the championships in Beijing. Britain's Wade Bennett-Jackson finished in sixth place in 10.45secs.

"I'm over the moon and just want to talk about it with everyone," said Aikines-Aryeetey. "After my semi-final I just wanted to get out there and finish the business." Canada's Justyn Warner and Jamaica's Yohan Blake finished in second and third places.

Aikines-Aryeetey won the 100m-200m sprint double at the World Youth Championships last year.

* Definitely one to watch! :clap :D

P.S. Ta very much for the Paula comments.

Certainly is. :clap

I'm glad he has severed his ties with Trevor Graham. :guns

Look out for Martyn Rooney in the 400m final. He posted the fastest time in winning his semi-final. :D

I've noticed in the RT for next week that there is a highlights programme of the WJC on BBC2, Sunday at 2pm for 45mins.

You're welcome, I did think you might have seen it, it was tucked away on the Beeb site.
Just checking that you noticed the one before it?

I think he was a bit disappointed with his bronze, while Alex Nelson was lucky to get one after the Ukrainian who finished in front of him was disqualified for running out of his lane, but could help the 4x100m relay team to a gold...! ;)

Thanks for the tip-off. I'm off out to a matinee performance of Tony & Cleo at the Globe shortly, so I'll have to set the good ol' VCR! ;)

If you mean the Linford Christie/Christine Ohuruogu one, yes (that was at least a bronze, if not something even more precious, down the tubes...! :rolleyes: ).

I trust you found the performance to your liking? :)

In case you missed this because it was covered during the athletics competition from Brumland. The 4x100 relay boys got a bronze. You're likely to have got all the other relevant details on your recording. There are some young ones worth keeping an eye out for in the future. A young 15-year-old, Asha Philips, caught my eye in the 100m. She was fourth but not by much could be a successor for Joice. :rolleyes:

Performance was generally excellent, thanks: the Cleo was Frances Barber, who justly won rave reviews for her portrayal, though I felt Nicholas Jones, the Antony (the unbelievably pompous & smarmy Jeremy Aldermarten QC in Kavanagh QC), was a bit too bluff, un-hero-like &, well, old to be completely convincing as a man who could have swept Cleo off her feet... :rolleyes:

Actually, I didn't get anything at all: I set the VCR OK, though I assumed it was going to be a self-contained highlights programme & therefore foolishly turned on PDC & either the Beeb didn't transmit a signal or the fact that I'd limited the broadcast to 45 minutes meant that nothing whatsoever was recorded...! :err :eek Heard about the relay bronze when I checked the Beeb's web site later in the evening... :huh:

Found this article yesterday. I must admit I find the whole thing rather disquieting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1781

Thanks for that. I share your disquiet - particularly when I got to this bit:

[...]The Chinese would have preferred to host their Olympics in mid-September, when cooler, windy weather cleanses the air. So would the IAAF. But the IOC had concerns for the interests of its main bankers in U.S. and European television, who insist the Olympics are out of the way before the start of their football seasons.

"We rely on the IOC for the choice of the city and the choice of the dates. They had their reasons so we have nothing to do but cope with the reality," said Pierre Weiss, the IAAF's acting secretary-general.

The Chinese are similarly philosophical. They pressed for September, fought bitterly against July and compromised on August 8.

"According to the Chinese lunar system, which has existed for thousands of years, it is the first day of autumn," said Lao Dapeng, the IAAF vice-president and adviser to the Beijing organising committee, with a wry smile that suggested his tongue was firmly in his cheek.

"Don't think it gives the Chinese athletes an advantage. We never compete in July and August because of the conditions. Our championships are always in September and October."

The IAAF will insist to the IOC on a classical programme of morning heats starting at 9am, evening finals and both marathons at 8am to avoid the worst heat of the day. The Chinese are backing them whatever the needs of U.S. television, which has forced swimming into accepting morning finals.

Even accounting for those precautions, the events last week are proof that athletics will not be seen at its best in 2008. The Olympic motto of Faster, Higher, Stronger is unlikely to be fulfilled at the 29th Summer Olympiad.

* It's absolutely infuriating! The Olympic Games take place only every four years, for God's sake. Just what gives TPTB in the US & Europe the right to think that their precious schedules should take precedence over the need to ensure the world's top athletes enjoy the conditions most conducive to record-breaking performances? Grr ... :angry2

Here's another little gem from Paula! :hat
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...81&in_a_source=

I did try, but whatever I did didn't work but I shall keep trying. :err

Cheers. Interesting piece. She's nothing if not forthright! :)

Can't decide where I stand on this one. :eek Christine
I'm all for clean sport and believe anyone caught taking drugs should be dealt with. But a ban for life from the Olympic Games seems a bit harsh for missing three drug tests! Especially as TPTB agree she wasn't trying to escape the testing. Having said that, it was a little careless of Miss Ohuruogu to manage to miss all three! :rolleyes:

Perhaps the World Anti-Doping Agency should insist on all sports having the same rules and not allowing each sport to set its own!

I know exactly what you mean. This article on the Beeb's site is probably the follow-up to yours:

Ohuruogu will launch ban appeal

Christine Ohuruogu says she will launch an appeal against a one-year suspension for missing three drugs tests. The Commonwealth 400m champion's ban mean she is no longer eligible to run for Britain in future Olympic Games. "The first point is to appeal against the Olympic ban because I think that is completely out of line," the 22-year-old told the Mail on Sunday. "I wanted people to apply some common sense. I don't know if it will succeed, they've shown they can be really hard." And Ohuruogu said that she will retire if the chance to compete at the Olympics is taken away from her. "If what they're looking at is an Olympic ban, I don't see the point in me running again," she added. "That is what will destroy me the most. If that's the case, I probably will never run again. The Olympics is what you train for, that's the pinnacle, the highest you can get to. It's a shame because I've only just started in the sport."

Ohuruogu's coach Lloyd Cowan had already expressed his anger at the suspension, saying it was "very harsh". "I'm disgusted at the punishment. She's been treated exactly the same as those who have committed very serious drugs violations," he said. Cowan revealed the Londoner had wept after receiving news of her punishment. "Christine cried for over two hours yesterday as her family and I tried to console her. 'How can they do this me?' she kept saying. No-one seems to have taken into account that she has never failed a test either after a race or out of competition. They've treated her very badly."

Unless she mounts a successful appeal, Ohuruogu will lose lottery funding and the medical support provided by UK Athletics' world-class performance plan. The Melbourne gold medallist has been troubled almost constantly by Achilles injuries. The independent disciplinary committee which found Ohuruogu guilty issued a statement saying she "had no intention of infringing the anti-doping rules". But UK Athletics president Lynn Davies says Ohuruogu faces a tough battle to overturn the ban. "There isn't a lot of room for manoeuvre on this one," he told Five Live's Sportsweek programme. The committee said this meets the IAAF ruling of a 12 month ban based on missing three tests. We have to abide by this and respect their decision. It is a harsh punishment and to some extent out of relation to the violation. A lot of us in the sport are very sympathetic, but rules are rules and sadly she has to abide by it. We need athletes like her around, she is great athlete and could be one of the faces of London 2012, so let us hope that it will finish up favourably."

The athlete admitted after news of her ban was released that she is now considering her future in the sport. She said: "In reality, this is a two-year suspension, due to the fact that by August 2007, I will not be able to qualify for the World Championships. In addition to the fact that my Olympic dream is now over, this situation has been emotionally and financially costly for me. I am now forced to rationally consider my athletics future in light of today's decision. I feel strongly that my exclusion from the European Championships was adequate punishment for this offence and I really didn't expect my hopes and dreams to end this way."

* Missing a test required under the rules three times does seem incredibly careless & she seemed very dismissive when the enquiry was first announced, but the sentence does strike me as a bit OTT, especially as the governing body seems to have accepted that her actions were not deliberate - &, since it now seems reasonable to assume that she wasn't indulging in any kind of nefarious doping activity, we're arguably depriving ourselves of the services of a genuine medal prospect in future international competitions. It's great pity they couldn't find some sort of happy medium - & I wish her luck with her appeal... :eek

From today's Times

Radcliffe speaks out in support of banned Ohuruogu
From John Goodbody in Lausanne

PAULA RADCLIFFE is backing Christine Ohuruogu, Britain’s Commonwealth 400 metres champion, in her fight to get her 12-month ban reduced for a doping offence.
Radcliffe, a long-time crusader against drugs in sport, is sympathetic towards Ohuruogu, who missed three tests over an 18-month period and is appealing to the Court for Arbitration in Sport, which is based here.

Although the world marathon champion and record-holder, who is expecting her first baby in January, insisted that she supported Britain’s hard line on drugs, she said: “If Christine lived in another country she would not be serving a 12-month ban. That is not fair. I was sad when I heard about her case. I do not think for one minute she is guilty of doping. She was not educated right about the system and didn’t understand how serious it was.”

However, Radcliffe, speaking after her speech to the Doping Symposium of the IAAF, added: “If you do not show a serious response to her failure you are risking athletes taking advantage of the situation.”

Radcliffe pointed to the difference between the punishment of Ohuruogu compared with that of Rio Ferdinand, the England and Manchester United defender, who received an eight-month suspension after failing to turn up for a test in September 2003, even though he was informed of the need to give a urine sample at the Manchester United training ground.

UK Sport, which oversees drugs testing in Britain, is considering more lenient punishments. They are: a three-month ban for the first offence of missing three tests, 12 months for failing to attend a further three tests and 24 for a third offence of failing to turn up for another three tests. This would bring Britain more in line with other countries.

Radcliffe said that she wanted greater uniformity of drug testing across the world and that she did not believe that Ohuruogu should be barred from representing Britain at the Olympic Games. Under the bylaw of the British Olympic Association, any competitor found guilty of a doping offence is prohibited from being selected at the Games. However, several athletes who are guilty of minor offences have successfully appealed.

Peter Cousins, who is hoping to be selected in judo for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and also missed three tests, is to have his appeal heard by the end of the year and the judgment will set a precedent for Ohuruogu.

* Good to see Paula coming to the aid of Christine. I still think the World Anti-Doping Agency should be working not only to eradicate the taking of drugs but to try to bring all countries in line with their punishments. I read a scary piece in The Times a week or so ago which suggested in a few years time athletes would be trying to enhance their performance by using stem cell technology. :eek *

Thanks for that. Have just got back from a couple of days down in Falmouth & while I was able more or less to keep track of the general news courtesy of the TV in my room in the guest house, I've felt a bit out of it on the sports side... If such a vehement anti-doping campaigner as Paula thinks she's innocent of anything more questionable/sinister than missing the tests &, by the sounds of it, a certain naivety as far as protocol is concerned, then that's good enough for me! ;)

Don't know if you recall this guy?

Don Thompson, the Olympic walking champion known as Mighty Mouse, has died in hospital at Frimley Green, Surrey, at 73. Thompson, only 5ft 5ins, won gold for Britain in the 50km walk in Rome in 1960, acclimatising by exercising in his bathroom, where he created hot, humid conditions with heaters and boiling kettles.

Those were the days!

I first read this on the Beeb site, so I went in search of the original. Luckily for once the DM site came up trumps. Let's hope this new régime bears fruit. :rolleyes:

Mo Farrah has just won the SPAR European Cross Country Championship in Italy this afternoon. :clap I found this article earlier in the week and think it appropriate to post it now. :D He's the first Brit man to win this in ten years. :eek

In the junior girls' event Stephanie Twell won :hat and Emily Pidgeon was fourth, the junior girls also winning the team event with a total score of 21.
Damn fine show all round. ;)

Not a bad day for Team GB at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Brum! Sorry for Mo Farrah, though... ;) And have to say that for all he won the triple jump gold, some of Phillips Idowu's various body piercings make my skin crawl... :eek

'Twas indeed. Although I didn't see very much I did watch the outstanding run from Nicola Sanders in the 400m. :xmas5 For once the hype fron TITK was fully justified and she produced the goods on the day. :clap Other performances of note: three men into the men's 60m final and a woman in the 60m final. Jeanette Kwakye ( I haven't heard of her before :err ) and with the second fastest time. :hat Good luck to them all. Must say however, Kim Cevaert looked on top form; she will be difficult to beat.

Oh dear! Things seem to be going from bad to worse. :eek
From The TimesMay 28, 2007

Sotherton misses point with javelin

David Powell, Athletics Correspondent
The continuing crisis that is Kelly Sotherton’s sixth event of the heptathlon showed no sign of stabilising yesterday when Great Britain’s Olympic bronze medal-winner in 2004 finished seventh in the World Combined Events Challenge in Götzis, Austria. On course to finish runner-up to Carolina Klüft, Sotherton barely scraped over 30 metres in the javelin, placing 26th of 27 competitors.

Seven metres down on her Athens javelin throw, and ten metres short of the career-best mark she set three years ago, Sotherton fell back six places to eighth position before regaining one place in the final event, the 800 metres. Since 2004, Sotherton’s javelin efforts have cost her medals at the World and European Championships.

Sotherton’s throw of 33.09 metres at the 2005 World Championships, in Helsinki, was described as “pathetic” by Athletics 2006, the sport’s global annual. Then, after managing 32.04 on her way to winning the Commonwealth title in Melbourne last year, she described her throwing as “abysmal”.

Yesterday, it was Mick Hill, Sotherton’s new coach, who best summed up the frustration. “I am flabbergasted and very disappointed with her,” Hill, the 1993 World Championship bronze medal-winner, said. He became Sotherton’s javelin coach after she recorded only 30.05 at the European Championships in Gothenburg last year.

Sotherton’s best mark in Götzis was 30.19. “A lot of time has gone into producing a better result than we have got,” Aston Moore, the UK Athletics senior performance manager for combined events, said. Scoring 6,210 points, Sotherton is now looking up in the British rankings to Jessica Ennis, who has recorded 6,388 this season.

Only two months ago, at the European Indoor Championships, in Birmingham, Sotherton came closer to beating Klüft in combined events than any athlete in the past five years, but that was in a pentathlon, with javelin excluded. The Swede scored 6,681 yesterday.

A great win for the GB & NI women in Helsinki, they won 12 of the 20 events and are now back in the top-flight of European athletics. :clap :xmas5 Now stay there and stop the yo-yoing you put us through. The men finished fourth in their competition. It'll be good to have them both competing at the same venue next time. :hat

With the World Championships in Osaka now firmly on the radar & the trials to decide who will be in Team GB taking place this weekend (c'mon, Mo! :guns ), there's a noticeable increase in the number of articles about athletics/the athletes themselves in the papers. I've been meaning to post this fascinating interview with the newly established holder of the UK long jump record, Chris Tomlinson, since I read it on the train home on Tuesday. It seems this is a discipline in which we currently have a rare strength in depth. :eek :clap

* Hadn't realised he was from Middlesbrough - & is apparently a "long-suffering Boro supporter"! :) :xmas5

I then came across this feature on "Tadpole" when I was looking for the CT piece! ;) It seems she's supplanted Kelly Sotherton as our N° 1 heptathlete! :clap

Poor blighter, as if injury ain't enough to have to put up with. :rofl

I'd picked up on this around the time the GB girls had won the European ( I think) heptathlon championship. :clap Mind you the young Russian wasn't taking part, so who knows what the outcome would have been.
Unfortunately, this doesn't make encouraging reading. :eek

Oh boy! You weren't joking... :(

Seeing the World Championships are about to start in Osaka at the end of the week I thought you might like to read this article.

Jessica finished 4th but should be very pleased with her performance. If she can improve her throwing events she'd be a real contender. :xmas5 Kelly did well to finish 3rd after yet another disastrous javelin event. :eek Dashed good job she's quite fleet of foot.

Flying visit - out at lunchtime, so shouldn't really be making it, but just had to celebrate this news, which I've just found on the Beb site:

World Championships 2007

Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders both put in superb performances to clinch World Championship gold and silver in the 400m final in Osaka. The British duo finished fast to overhaul Jamaica's Novlene Williams in the final strides.

Earlier Jo Pavey booked her place in the 5,000m final after finishing fourth in her semi-final.

The new 400m world champion told BBC Sport: "Winning a world title will probably sink in later because to me, I've just won a race. It was very tough for me. I'm proud because I got up every single day and trained hard with the World Championships in mind."

* So all three medals so far claimed by team GB won by the girls! :muscles :clap :hat :party :D Guess I'll be watching the highlights when I get home, at 19.00 on BBC2! ;) I love medal ceremonies when it's our national anthem that's gonna be played & the Union flag hoisted on the middle flag pole... :sun :dazzler