OLYMPIC champion Christine Ohuruogu has backed Gateshead’s Vicky Barr to play a major part in helping Great Britain topple the United States at this year’s World Championships.

The former Gateshead Harrier was controversially omitted from the 4x400m team at the Olympics, with heptathalete Kelly Sotherton and 800m British No.1, Marilyn Okoro, chosen ahead of the one-lap specialist, who finished second at the National Championships and Olympic trials in July.

Team GB’s decision backfired as, despite the presence of world and Olympic gold medallist Ohuruogu and world silver medallist Nicola Sanders, the quartet could only finish fifth as a Sanya Richards-inspired American team topped the podium.

And while Ohuruogu isn’t expecting miracles at this summer’s World Championships in Berlin, she believes Barr will be hell-bent on righting her Olympic wrongs in the German capital.

“Vicky would have been disappointed to miss out on the relay but I am sure she can harness that in the right way,” said Ohuruogu, who is currently warm-weather training at an Aviva-funded Team GB camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

“Overall it is a very exciting time for British athletics and people like Vicky are coming through and getting stronger, which raises the whole competition and raises our profile as a squad.

“Surprisingly, we have not had a chance to go through the relay collectively. I think we need the time to sit back and have a bit more time to reflect.

We will all review it when the time is good for us.

“Obviously to finish outside the medals with a very talented team was a big disappointment for us because it was a talented team.

“That is something I’m sure we will all look to put right at 2012, although that is a long way off. In the meantime we can all push each other along and hopefully Vicky will be part of that.”

And Ohuruogu wasn’t the only Team GB member to talk up Barr’s chances in 2008, with 800m Olympic semi finalist Okoro revealing 26-year-old Barr – who used to specialise in the 200m – is no longer considered a lesser light in athletics circles.

“Vicky Barr has just joined our training group, which is a really nice addition and I think it will help her progression as a really serious athlete now,” said Okoro.

She has had a change to her training set-up, which I think will be good for her. She has gone from a big fish in a small pond to a normal athlete competing against the best with us now.

“And I can see her taking full advantage – she faces a big challenge this year but I don’t think she lets what happened at the Olympics or any other championships affect her.

“She has really got her head down and I think she has learnt that competing for a place in the relay isn’t enough. She needs to look for individual success as well.”

■ Christine Ohuruogu and Marilyn Okoro are members of the Aviva GB & NI Team and are preparing for the 2009 season at the Aviva UKA Warm Weather Training Camp in South Africa.

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