Christine Ohuruogu Takes Positives From 2010

Christine Ohuruogu believes that her career could benefit from missing most of the 2010 season due to injury.

The 400m Olympic champion injured her quad in the summer and was forced to sit out of the European Championships in Barcelona, where she would have been one of the favourites for the title.

But it looked like she would get back on the track this season when she was selected for the Commonwealth Games, where she would have been defending champion.

However she was forced to pull out of the England team as she had recovered sufficiently enough. And while she was disappointed not to be in Delhi she admits that she has realised the importance of rest.

Speaking to BBC London 94.9 Ohuruogu said: "I'd really been pushing myself for five or six years, but I think it was nice to give myself a mental break.

"Rest is a taboo word in my book, so it was nice to be forced to say 'you know, you can't run, get over it, relax and enjoy your time off'.

"If I hadn't been injured I would have just kept on pushing and pushing and pushing, because that's the kind of person I am."

And while she is keen to back to full fitness in time of the world championships in South Korean next summer she will not hurry her recovery as she firmly has her sights on defending her title in London 2012.

"It's not bad, but there's no rush now, it's just a matter of taking our time and going back to the start.

"It does kind of change your focus but you don't really think of it too much, once I get back running, I'll be back running and that's it."

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw