The recent Sainsbury’s British Championships was an event packed with top class performances from some of our very best athletes as they pushed themselves and their rivals towards the European Championships and the relevant qualifying standards. Yet the most avid armchair fan can be forgiven for thinking that the fields were still somewhat diluted, as both of the reigning British world champions opted out of running.
While Mo Farah is training hard in Portland to get back to his track racing best, ahead of his attempt to claim a historic Commonwealth double, after his marathon endeavours this spring. It would appear that Christine Ohuruogu is taking things a little easier in 2014.
Although she too has been selected for this month’s Commonwealth games, albeit only in the relays, Ohuruogu, who is seen by many as the most successful British female athlete of all time, said recently that she is well behind schedule.
Speaking after running at the Adidas New York Grand Prix in June, where she finished dead last, Ohuruogu said: “I’m not prepared for my season, I’m maybe a good 6 weeks behind but Adidas are my sponsors and it’s always good to come out and support a meet like this, the problem is I’m not in any shape to run.”
The reason for her lack of sharpness, she explained, is due to an achilles injury she picked up from competing indoors:” We changed training a little bit, I had a little bit of an Achilles problem, so that put me back and just coming off indoors, which is why I don’t like being indoors too much because it always affects my achilles.”
With it being a non Olympic and World Championship year, Ohuruogu said she had been advised her not to risk her future endeavours by rushing back: “My physio said it’s not a big year there’s no need to push, so I’ve taken my time, I took loads of time out just to let it settle down, that’s it really, it’s not a big year for me at all. I suppose the less, I do the better.”
As for whether she would put herself up for European selection Ohuruogu seemed particularly uncertain: “I’ll decide that when I get there, I’m just trying to enjoy my life right now.”
