Gold medal heroine Christine Ohuruogu almost cost Britain a place in the final of the women's 4x400 metres relay today.

The team could not capitalize on a good start and a sluggish last leg by new 400m champion Ohuruogu saw her almost pipped on the line by the fast finishing German team.

Hit by the loss of Leigh McConnell through injury before the start, it had all been going so well when Nicola Sanders handed the baton to Kelly Sotherton in second place after the first leg.

The heptathlete then performed valiantly to maintain that postion behind the Russian quartet before Marilyn Okoro lost ground on the third leg. As winner of the individual, Ohuruogu should have had no problems securing the top-three finish required but she laboured for most the leg and almost paid dearly.

"I was just told to qualify so I was taking it easy but I didn't see the German," she said.

Russia won ahead of Cuba with Britain in third and likely to receive a poor lane for tomorrow's final. The other heat was won by America ahead of Jamaica and Belarus.

British athletics chiefs confirmed today that McConnell, 29, suffered a quad muscle tear in the second round of the individual event.

Athletics team leader Dave Collins said: "It is a big disappointment for Lee. She has made a huge contribution to the success of our women's 4x400m relay squad in recent years.

"She has our sympathy and as ever, UK Athletics will work closely with the athlete to assist with the her return to full fitness."

Meanwhile, it was confirmed today that Ukraine's Lyudmila Blonska has been stripped of her Olympic silver in the heptathlon after testing positive for steroids. She was given a two-year ban in 2003 after testing positive for steroids and now faces a lifetime ban. 400 metres gold medal was one of the highlights of the Games so far.

It has inevitably put the spotlight back on her missed drugs tests and critics have wondered whether she should be an ambassador for London 2012 but I have no such doubts.

She will be warmly welcomed, as you could see when Seb Coe gave her the flowers at the medal ceremony. Everybody within the sport understands the issues with the out-of-competition testing system and it is so easy to miss a test. You are equally likely to catch an innocent athlete as you are a guilty athlete through the way the out-of-competition testing system is run.

People outside the sport do not realise how easy it is to miss a test and I have no doubt there was nothing malign behind Christine's case, as is shown by the British Olympic Association lifting the lifetime Olympic ban on her when she appealed. After the race she gave a