Now for Olympic gold, says Ohuruogu after lifetime drug ban is lifted

Britain's world 400metres champion, who was suspended for a year for missing three drugs tests, faced a lifetime ban from the Games under British Olympic Association rules but, after a hearing in London, her appeal was today upheld.

It means the 23-year-old from Stratford will be eligible to go for gold in next year's Olympics in Beijing and also have the chance to resurrect her dream of being the local heroine in the 2012 Games which will be staged just a few hundred yards from her home.

After hearing the news, Ohuruogu said she now hopes to win over her critics by claiming Olympic gold.

"I'm really happy but my first reaction was just to be able to exhale with the relief because I've been holding my breath for so long as it's hung over me," she said.

"I feel relieved that I can start concentrating on training and hopefully be selected to compete and try to win gold for Great Britain in the Olympics next year."

Ohuruogu, who has never been able to shake off her critics since she won world championship gold in gold in Osaka immediately after her one-year ban had ended in August, said she hoped today's verdict would enable her to start her career afresh without the drugs stigma continuing to pursue her.

"I'm hoping that I will be allowed to put it behind me and just look forward because I think the most important thing is being able to prepare for the future," said Ohuruogu.

"I can't control what other people are going to say and I think there are people who may never want to let me forget what happened but the way I see it, I can put my hand on my heart and say I'm not a drugs cheat.

"I have been tested for the whole entire time I was asked and I'll continue to be tested. So as far as I'm concerned there's no asterisk by my name. Now I'm just going to concentrate on trying to win gold and hopefully make people proud because nothing's going to change in my training; the commitment is still going to be there and hopefully I'll make it to the Games.

"I'm glad it's all over now because it's always hard on your family too. When you fall, you don't fall by yourself, you take a lot of people with you."

It seems, though, that Ohuruogu's fellow Britons have not learned from her mistake as UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner revealed three other athletes - including middle distance runner Becky Lynne - have missed two consecutive drugs tests.