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Christine Ohuruogu's Biography

 
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Christine Ohuruogu was just 21 when she beat the world and Olympic champion, Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas, to win the 400 metres at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Ohuruogu graduated in psychology and German at University College London, and together with her six siblings lives in East London with her parents, who came to Britain in 1982 from eastern Nigeria.

The Times describes a meeting between Ohuruogu and Cathy Freeman and Christine's mother, Patience Ohuruogu, told The Times:

"When she qualified for the Athens Olympics she said, 'Mummy, I'm going to be like Cathy Freeman' ... She doesn't want to be a star. She just wants to be the best at whatever she's doing."

Ohuruogu told the Telegraph that her Commonwealth Games victory was in part motivated by a desire to make amends for her failure to reach the final in 2005's World Championships:

"I messed up in Helsinki and decided I was not going to let an opportunity slip by again. Last summer I was too fearful. This is a difficult event to learn but I now have a speed and confidence I didn't have before."

Christine Ohuruogu is a former junior netball international and in an interview with the BBC Ohuruogu revealed that she used to have little interest in athletics:

"I never actually followed athletics when I was younger - I used to find it so boring ...If it came on television, I would either change the channel or leave the room."

In 2006 Christine Ohuruogu received a year's ban for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests.

She bounced back soon after the ban finished when she won the gold medal at the 2007 World Championships.

Ohuruogu got a lifetime ban on Olympic participation overturned and won a place in the GB team for the Beijing Olympic Games.

The overturn of the ban proved crucial as Christine Ohuruogu ended up winning gold in the 400m at the Beijing Olympics.

In May 2009, Christine Ohuruogu received her MBE from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. She had been honoured in the New Year Honours.

In the London Olympics in 2012, Christine Ohuruogu took the silver medal in the 400m.

In August 2013, Christine Ohuruogu became the first British woman to win two world titles, after taking the 400m gold in a photo finish.

In the Rio Olympics in 2016, Christine Ohuruogu was part of the bronze medal winning women's 4x400 relay Great Britain team, along with Eilidh Doyle, Anyika Onuora and Emily Diamond.



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