27 November 2007

UK Athletics (UKA) today welcomed the decision of the British Olympic Association Appeals Panel to restore Christine Ohuruogu’s eligibility for Team GB selection at future Olympic Games following her successful appeal against the BOA’s Eligibility bye-law.

In August 2006 Christine was found guilty of a technical breach of UKA’s own anti-doping rules, and was suspended for twelve months for missing three ‘no notice’ out of competition drugs tests within a period of five years.

The suspension expired on 5 August 2007 allowing Christine to return to competitive action, however until today she remained ineligible for selection for the Olympic Games in line with the BOA Bye-law.

After finding in Christine’s favour due to significant mitigating circumstances, the BOA Appeals Panel have cleared the World 400m Champion for selection to Team GB for all future Olympic Games.

Commenting on the decision UKA Chairman Ed Warner said: “We are delighted that Christine is free to compete under the British flag at future Olympics. She failed to meet the tough standards of our anti-doping programme and rightly spent a year banned from athletics. There has never been any suggestion that Christine took performance enhancing substances and more than a dozen negative tests over the last two years supports this and should reassure the public that she is a drug free athlete.

“Christine’s case demonstrates the anomalies in the anti-doping system both domestically and globally.  The UK is one of just three countries to enforce the three missed tests violation and athletics is the only sport in Britain to have a 5 year period in which the missed tests are counted. British track and field athletes are subject to one of the most stringent out of competition testing programmes in the world and it is a programme we are committed to and proud of. We will continue to work with anti-doping agencies to ensure a transparent and fair testing regime that is harmonised across all sports and all countries.

UKA Performance Director Dave Collins added: “Christine committed a technical anti-doping offence and has paid the price for that. However, this decision has reinforced the view from two previous independent hearings that there is no evidence or suggestion that she has ever taken performance enhancing substances or had any sinister intentions in missing the tests.

“Christine is a hugely talented, committed and focussed athlete and her dedication to the sport during her twelve month ban, during which she was tested regularly, was rewarded with a World Championship gold medal. I and the rest of the team at UK Athletics wish her every success as she prepares for Beijing.”