London resident Anyika Onuora ignoring 4x100m scandal

Saturday, July 21, 2012
2:22 PM

200m runner ignoring controversy after women’s relay team fails to qualify

London resident Anyika Onuora is not thinking about missing out on the 4x100 metre relay after she qualified for the individual 200m event.

While UK athletics coach Charles van Commenee blasted the relay sprinters, who were disqualified after Hayley Jones ran out of her lane, Onuora was going to remain silent about the problems.

“I do what I do best by staying quiet and keeping it moving. That is all.”

Van Commenee felt that the women’s relay was an accident waiting to happen.

“It was always an accident waiting to happen that didn’t happen here necessarily, it is a process over a number of years,” Van Commenee said.

“We have been underperforming in this area for more than 10 years and at one point you don’t get away with it.

“I’m not really surprised, that’s why I stopped the programme basically two years ago. I didn’t think they were going to be dangerous in London.

“It’s a disappointment but at the same time I did not expect great things at all. I think it’s a true reflection of where we are. We are somewhere between 15th and 20th and on the day we turn out to be 17th.”