13th August 2009

OHURUOGU TO RACE ATGATESHEAD

12 August 2009

GREAT BRITAIN’S World and Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu has set her sights on racing in the North East at the Aviva British Grand Prix to be held in Gateshead on 31 August when she returns from the World Championships.

Last year Ohuruogu followed up her superb win at the Olympics in Beijing with victory at the Gateshead track, and a chance to show off her prized gold medal to the crowds. This year she’s aiming for a repeat performance.

The 25-year-old is also hoping to retain the World title she won in Osaka two years ago and add to her growing collection of major international medals with victory in Berlin.

After missing the Aviva London Grand Prix as a precaution to aid her recovery from a hamstring injury, she now hopes to be back at her best when she takes to the track at Berlin’s Olympic stadium next week, in the individual 400m, then again when she teams up with North East born Victoria Barr as part of the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland 4x400m relay team.

And the chance to enjoy another victory parade in front of the Gateshead crowd is something Ohuruogu is really looking forward to. Speaking from the Aviva GB & NI Team’s World Championships preparation camp in Portugal, she said:

 “It would mean everything to come back from Berlin with another medal after the success I have had in the past. I am really looking forward to coming back to the UK after Berlin, hopefully with a medal.

“I think the Gateshead fans can expect a really good meeting up there because there are going to be a lot of high quality athletes there and it will be a really good field. 

“I love competing in Gateshead partly because of the quality of the field they always have there and also just because it is always a good atmosphere – it’s always good to compete in front of a home crowd and hopefully I will have a medal again.”

Tickets for the Aviva British Grand Prix at Gateshead International Stadium, on Monday 31st August are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.uka.org.uk