CHRISTINE OHURUOGU (pictured), the Olympic and world 400 metres champion, today claimed that new anti-doping rules mean that sportsmen and women are monitored more closely than criminals.
The Londoner said that the new controversial whereabouts rules introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency have been tighthened even further since she was banned for a year in 2006 after missing three out-of-competition tests.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, she said: "Instead of having to nominate an hour every day, five days a week, when you are available for testing, you can now expect a visit by a drug-tester seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year - in other words, even when you are on holiday.
"Can you imagine that?
"You are sunning yourself on a beach and yet you still have to remember to text or email the anti-doping authorities before you go on a boat-trip or a shopping expedition, just in case a drug-tester turns up.
"I can think of no other profession where a person would be subject to such restrictions.
"Not even prisoners on parole get treated like that."
The new system requires athletes included in the testing pool to give an hour between 6am and 11pm each day when and where they are available for testing.
If they are not there should the testers call then that counts as a strike against them.
If they get three they face a ban of up to two years.
The system has been fiercely criticised by a number of top competitors, particularly tennis players Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal and British number one Andy Murray.
Ohuruogu wrote: "I am not for one moment suggesting that there should not be an out-of-competition drug-testing system.
"Far from it. It is a price we have to pay for the privilege of competing in sport at the highest level.
"But what I do hope comes out of the debate about the 'whereabouts' system is a public recognition of how hard it is and the burden it places on athletes to stay within the rules.
"We are athletes but we are also human, with human fallibilities.
"Sometimes things don't always go to plan, which is why I ended up missing tests.
"It wasn't because I was being ignorant or, as some people have accused me, because I am stupid.
"Things just happen sometimes.
"You get flustered, and you forget where you're supposed to be.
It is something that can happen to anyone, and that's the most frightening thing about it.
"You don't have to unintelligent to mess up.
"Just being a human being puts you at risk.
"The human memory is never going to be foolproof."
To read the full article visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/4691638/Andy-Murray-must-learn-from-my-mistakes-says-Christine-Ohuruogu.html.
