[*Anneka]

I have no idea how they choose people to compete in Somalia...

(And why did I think people from Somalia were called Somalis? )

[El Stevo]

the language is definitely somali (af soomaali). i thought the folks were somali as well...

[RK]

****ing hell!!!!!!!! Amazing.

Im have a sore throat and sore hands now...was that gold and silver for the 400m girls??


Certain gold for Christine and silver for Nicola!!!!!

I'm shaking!!!!


Awsome race from both girls. Great to se Christine battling right to the end to make it

[Economist]

Gold and Silver!!!

[SuperDaz]

Amazing performance

[SuperDaz]

Well done to Donald Thomas in the high jump too. Hes only been high jumping for 18 months too

[RK]

Wooo! 400m medal ceremony on now!

Might be the only time we hear the national anthem, so better make the most of it!!!

[Speederson]

Noooo i missed all of this afternoons action because i've only just got up
i set my alarm for 12 but i have no idea what happened to that
I'm gutted

[*Anneka]

British 1, 2!

I'll admit that by the end of God Save The Queen, I was in tears. (It's Christine's fault - she set me off! ) I have no idea why Williams didn't dip - I don't care how much she was dying... you always lunge for the line no matter what! I'm glad she didn't though.

(Original post by Speederson)
Noooo i missed all of this afternoons action because i've only just got up
i set my alarm for 12 but i have no idea what happened to that
I'm gutted

;console; Here's a replay: http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/sol/new...b&mp=wm&news=1

(Original post by SuperDaz)
Well done to Donald Thomas in the high jump too. Hes only been high jumping for 18 months too

He was great! It makes sense that a basketball player can make a great high jumper, I guess... but 18 months!?! And I really thought Stefan Holm would win, because he's usually brilliant.

[Speederson]

Thanks Anneka What a race! Hopefully there will be a similar outcome in Beijing!

[*Anneka]

That's if they let Ohuruogu race there. I hope her appeal works!

And, no problem.

[RK]

(Original post by xxx Anneka xxx)
That's if they let Ohuruogu race there. I hope her appeal works!

And, no problem.

She has a strong case to get it over turned - what with the British triathlete and the British judo person having similar Olympic bans for three missed tests over turned. Christine has already been punished more than them if I understand correctly, as she had a 12 month ban while I think the triathelete (is he called Tim Donn?) only has something like three months.

And didn't they say on TV today that the Court of Abritation for Sport says that she is guilty of nothing more than forgetfulness? So I guess should the BOA refuse to let her compete there she could appeal to the them to get the decision over turned...I hope so anyway

[white_haired_wizard]

(Original post by xxx Anneka xxx)
That's if they let Ohuruogu race there. I hope her appeal works!

And, no problem.

i don't like her attitude, her personality. Attending drugs testing is part and parcel of athletics, and many other professional sports, she didn't do this. She can say she was doing x, y or z at the time, but there's no excuses for missing what are effectively the demands of her occupation (very significant ones too, ones many have to adhere to). She didn't apologise for this ('missing' testing), she was certainly occupationally incompetent, and there is a very real possibility she didn't attend testing because she was taking performance enhancing drugs. I find her arrogant, and she is potentially a drugs cheat, potentially. I'm disappointed she won this race today. The arrogance of the woman is a real turn off.

i've read she'd missed 3. Smells dodgy but maybe she was clean all the time. We'll never know.

[*Anneka]

(Original post by Roger Kirk)
She has a strong case to get it over turned - what with the British triathlete and the British judo person having similar Olympic bans for three missed tests over turned. Christine has already been punished more than them if I understand correctly, as she had a 12 month ban while I think the triathelete (is he called Tim Donn?) only has something like three months.

And didn't they say on TV today that the Court of Abritation for Sport says that she is guilty of nothing more than forgetfulness? So I guess should the BOA refuse to let her compete there she could appeal to the them to get the decision over turned...I hope so anyway

Perhaps!

Yeah, it was Tim Don who only got a three-month ban. And you're right - Christine's been punished enough as it is, so I really hope that her appeal is successful. If it's not, imagine her at Beijing representing Nigeria. Or even in London 2012!

[*Anneka]

(Original post by white_haired_wizard)
i don't like her attitude, her personality. Attending drugs testing is part and parcel of athletics, and many other professional sports, she didn't do this. She can say she was doing x, y or z at the time, but there's no excuses for missing what are effectively the demands of her occupation (very significant ones too, ones many have to adhere to). She didn't apologise for this ('missing' testing), she was certainly occupationally incompetent, and there is a very real possibility she didn't attend testing because she was taking performance enhancing drugs. I find her arrogant, and she is potentially a drugs cheat, potentially. I'm disappointed she won this race today. The arrogance of the woman is a real turn off.

How has she been arrogant? She admitted that she simply forgot to tell the testers that she had switched where she was training at the last minute. I realise that it's hard to believe athletes at the moment with all the drug-cheating going on but I, for one, trust her. And she's already suffered enough being out for over a year for a simple - but vital - memory lapse.

[white_haired_wizard]

(Original post by xxx Anneka xxx)
How has she been arrogant? She admitted that she simply forgot to tell the testers that she had switched where she was training at the last minute. I realise that it's hard to believe athletes at the moment with all the drug-cheating going on but I, for one, trust her. And she's already suffered enough being out for over a year for a simple - but vital - memory lapse.

with the press, in newspaper articles, interviews i've watched on tv....when people, expectedly, are going to be sceptical about illegal drug-use in sport. She can't seem to acknowledge this, and rubbishes anyone who has this opinion (it feels this way). If it has been a case of forgetfulness, then has she apologised for this? For goodness sake, drug testing is a major thing in sport, you surely can't and don't 'simply' go forgetting about such things? Athletics is her profession and drugs testing is a very important part of her profession. I doubt memory lapses simply materialize out of thin air when it comes to drugs-testing.

you don't know it was a memory lapse, only she herself knows this or not. The only certainty to all this is that, surely, it smells a tad dodgy??

She should have got the one year ban, she doesn't agree. Which, IMO, is pathetic.

[*Anneka]

From what I've seen she didn't seem arrogant at all, so you've probably seen things I haven't. IIRC, she did apologise when this whole jazz started and I believe she did again when her ban ended. This controversy is similar to the Rio Ferdinand one. He also said he 'forgot', and I believe him too. At the end of the day, we're all human and people make mistakes. So, yes, it is unbelieveable stupid of them to 'forget'... but **** happens. And, no, I don't know for sure if Christine's telling the truth... but I would like to think she is. It's not possible to know either way now though - I'd just rather trust her.

[white_haired_wizard]

this reply isn't just to you...but why....

is anyone suddenly resorting to calling her simply by her first name, in their posts?

Do you all intimately know her?

I guess you all know the missing and unfortunately, potentially deceased Madaleine McCann well enough to be referring to her as 'Maddy'

[SuperDaz]

Me too

Typical British mentality, we have a world class athlete emerge and we try and put her down anyway we can

[*Anneka]

(Original post by white_haired_wizard)
this reply isn't just to you...but why....

is anyone suddenly resorting to calling her simply by her first name, in their posts?

Do you all intimately know her?

It's because I always forget how to spell her surname - 'Christine' is a hell of a lot easier! And anyway, there's nothing wrong at all with calling sportspeople or celebrities by their first names... it's quite common if you hadn't noticed.

(Original post by SuperDaz)
Typical British mentality, we have a world class athlete emerge and we try and put her down anyway we can

It really is a shame, isn't it? Although most of what I've heard has been positive.