Olympic silver medallist Jamie Baulch is convinced Newham’s Christine Ohuruogu can prove her doubters wrong and make an impact at next year’s Games.

After following up her 2007 World Championship gold with Olympic 400 metre gold a year later, Ohuruogu became a household name up and down the country and appeared destined to win London 2012 gold in her own back yard in Stratford next year.

But fast forward three years since her Beijing heroics and the Newham & Essex Beagle is on the verge of becoming a spent force.

Following a 2010 decimated by injury she fluffed her lines at this summer’s World Championships in Daegu with a false start seeing her eliminated in the first round, although her times heading to South Korea suggested even a final berth may be beyond her.

And, while many athletics fans and pundits alike are beginning to question whether or not Ohuruogu still has it, former World indoor 400m champion Baulch is adamant she can shine on the big stage once more.

“I feel very sorry for Christine, she’s a lovely girl who is having a very tough time of it at the moment and just seems to be going backwards,” said Baulch, speaking as the official race starter of the Lloyds TSB Cardiff Half Marathon.

“After what she did in Beijing, people have always said ‘don’t worry about Christine she peaks at the right time, and on the day’.

“But it’s been three years since then and she’s done next to nothing so next year I think the expectation will be different. People now are waking up and actually starting to question whether she’s still got it.

“But that could prove to be good for her in terms of managing expectations and I really can’t see why she can’t challenge next year.

“Much like the men’s side it’s not like the competition is out of sight with people running crazy times, so if she can get fit and put a good winter in she’s still very much in the reckoning and she’s got the pedigree as defending champion, so I’m certainly not writing her off.”

? Lloyds TSB is proud to help Barnardo’s make a difference by sponsoring the Cardiff Half Marathon. For more information please visit – www.cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk