BBC BLOGS - Sonja McLaughlan

Archives for July 2009

The shining lights of Crystal Palace

Sonja McLaughlan | 11:49 UK time, Sunday, 26 July 2009

Comments (14)

It's a simple question, but it's one which is actually quite difficult to answer: Where will Britain's medals come from at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin next month?

In recent weeks there's been a succession of medical bulletins with key athletes either struggling with injury or out of this summer's showpiece altogether.

Marathon runner Mara Yamauchi, who was second in London this year, Olympic bronze medallist Tasha Danvers and heptathlete Kelly Sotherton will all be left behind with one ailment or another. And they're not alone in spending more time on the treatment table than on the track.

Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders, Goldie Sayers, Lisa Dobriskey and Martyn Rooney have all had a frustrating season so far with setbacks that have threatened to end their season. Tim Benjamin has simply quit altogether because his body can't take it any more while there's still no word from France on Paula Radcliffe's immediate future.

It seems that Charles Van Commenee's first significant championships as head coach are in danger of being jeopardised with his team ravaged by injury.

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Superstar Bolt in dazzling form

Sonja McLaughlan | 14:40 UK time, Monday, 20 July 2009

Comments (2)

Hi all - we had a few technical problems with our blog system over the weekend so my post from Paris, where Usain Bolt once again destroyed the field, appeared here.

Will Williamson take Chambers' crown?

Sonja McLaughlan | 09:55 UK time, Monday, 13 July 2009

Comments (36)

Dwain Chambers flashed his gold tooth as he broke into a smile, but there was a resigned shrug of the shoulders too as it hit home that he'd been beaten.

He was trying to put a brave face on it and he remained defiant, but the fact he failed to appear 24 hours later for the 200m told its own story.

The warning signs were there as Simeon Williamson stormed to victory in his semi-final and suddenly you sensed Chambers had a challenger.

It's possible that we've witnessed a changing of the guard in Birmingham with Williamson at the forefront of a new era for British sprinting.

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With Oslo over, Berlin beckons

Sonja McLaughlan | 13:33 UK time, Saturday, 4 July 2009

Comments (10)

Bislett Games, Oslo

Christine Ohuruogu leaned on the railing in front of me close to exhaustion and said nothing. It seemed like the silence would go on forever. She knew she hadn't run well and was honest enough to admit it.

This was supposed to be the big rematch between the reigning Olympic champion and the woman she beat to the 400m title in Beijing, Sanya Richards. But in truth it was no contest at all. The American was a clear winner stamping her authority on the event in the fastest time in the world this year. Ohuruogu, by contrast, trailed home in a sluggish sixth and said afterwards she was "mortified." Some athletes refuse to talk after a bad race, but she certainly wasn't ducking the difficult questions. The only problem was she didn't really have any answers. Quite simply, she was at a loss to explain what went wrong, but was adamant she'd trained well and had fully recovered from a recent virus.

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