LEE McConnell was a late withdrawal from the British 4x400m relay squad that took to the track at the Bird's Nest in Beijing last night, a torn thigh muscle putting an end to her second Olympics.
After reaching the semi-finals of the individual 400 the 29-year old had an MRI scan, which showed a two-inch tear in her right quad. Her coach, Roger Harkins, said that he believes she ran with the injury in the first round, having felt pain during
her warm-up. A pain-killing injection allowed her to run in the second, but she finished well down in sixth, running her slowest time of the year.
The injury is expected to heal in three weeks, and McConnell promised that it wouldn't hinder her long-term ambition to compete in London in four years.
She said, in fact, that her disappointment here will make her more determined to continue until 2012. "I'm going for London after this, definitely," she said. "I'm really upset and there are no words I can actually say to explain how completely devastated I feel at this moment. The injury happened two days before my first round run, and it'll keep me out for a few weeks."
She had wanted to go through a warm-up with her teammates last night, to help encourage them – but the British team's medical staff warned her to stay off her feet, warning that any aggravation could put her out for six months.
It transpired that they needed all the encouragement they could get, though, with Christine Ohuruogu appearing a little too relaxed in their qualifying heat, and having to inject a late burst of pace to ensure they progressed to today's final.
Ohuruogu seemed to jog her lap, content to allow Russia and Cuba to claim the first two qualifying spots, with Britain nabbing the third, a plan that was almost foiled by a fast-finishing German team.
"I didn't see the German girl at first because she came on the inside," said Ohuruogu. "When I did I thought, 'Oh my God!' But we achieved what we set out to do."
Which was to qualify by seven hundredths of a second.
McConnell's replacement, joining Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders and Marilyn Okoro, was heptathlete Kelly Sotherton, who expressed sympathy for the Scottish athlete: "I'm only in the team as a result of her injury, and hopefully I did her justice by running a good leg. I keep my fingers crossed she'll recover and take this spot back from me again soon."
Ohuruogo admitted that McConnell's absence could affect the team's medal chances. "Lee was such an important part of our team last year (when they won bronze at the world championships], so I know how hard this is for her. We want to give her as much support as possible and hopefully she'll correct her injury and be with us later this year."
Hot favourites Jamaica threw away the women's 4x100m relay gold when they dropped the baton on the penultimate changeover. Great Britain also failed to finish the race as they stepped outside the handover box at the same changeover and both teams were left spectators as Russia went on to win ahead of Belgium and Nigeria.
In the men's 4x400m, the British quartet of Andrew Steele, Robert Tobin, Michael Bingham and individual finalist Martyn Rooney cruised into the final by winning the second semi-final in the fastest time of 2:59.33.
