Ohuruogu Overturns Olympic Lifetime Ban

British 400m runner and world champion Christine Ohuruogu has won an appeal hearing against an Olympic lifetime ban for missing drugs tests allowing her to compete in the Beijing 2008 Games.

The 23-year old athlete had been banned for a year by the sport’s governing body the IAAF for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests but had returned earlier this year after serving her suspension to claim gold at the World Championships in Osaka.

However, a British Olympic Association by-law states any athlete banned for doping receives a life ban from future Games which had ruled Ohuruogu out of the Beijing Olympics.

However following a hearing, the Sports Dispute Resolutions Panel unanimously agreed to overturn Ohuruogu’s ban.

The three-and-a-half hour hearing took place on Monday at Ely Place Chambers in London and the three-man panel was chaired by Nicholas Stewart QC.

Ohuruogu has long stated that her reason for missing the drugs tests was more to do with naivety and a breakdown in communications than any doping offence.

Under UK Sport guidelines, athletes have to specify an hour each day for five days a week when they would be available for a random drugs test.

But the fact the BOA by-law is not adopted by the World Anti-Doping Agency was in Ohuruogu’s favour, and triathlete Tim Don and Judo competitor Peter Cousins have had bans overturned in similar cases against the BOA by-law.

BOA chief executive Simon Clegg said: ‘The BOA and the Panel both stress that no advance notice out of competition testing is a fundamental part of ensuring an effective fight against doping in sport.

‘Athletes must be fully aware of their obligations to keep their whereabouts information up to date at all times and must ensure that they are available for testing at the designated times and places.

‘The BOA will now be pleased to welcome Christine Ohuruogu as part of Team GB in Beijing next year in the event of her successful nomination by UK Athletics.

‘Since the BOA is yet to receive the reasoned decision on this case it is inappropriate for us to make any further comment at this time.

‘It is our intention, however, to comment more fully on the circumstances relating to this case and any wider issues once we have received the full judgement.’