Duck to challenge Ohuruogu in 400m

JOEY Duck has revealed her London 2012 bid could see her go head-to-head with former Olympic champion and fellow Brit Christine Ohuruogu.

AMBITION: Joey Duck is looking to move up in distances - and challenge a talented crop of British rivals over 400m (Nike)

The 20-year-old has specialised in the 100m and 200m for most of her young career, finishing second in the 200m at the British Championships and World Trials before helping Great Britain win gold in the sprint relay at the European Under-23 Championships.

But as her body continues to develop she has begun the transition to the 400m, where she one day hopes to compete alongside the likes of Ohuruogu and 2007 World silver medallist Nicola Sanders.

And while Duck, who reached the 400m final at the 2008 British Olympic Trials, is targeting a sprint berth at this year's European Championships and Commonwealth Games she admits her long-term future lies in the one lap.

"I am doing more training now towards the 200m and 400m," said Duck, who is a part of the NikeWomen ‘Victory' campaign.

 "I have always been a 200m and 400m runner and it was just always a case of when would I make that transition to more 400m training.

"My body type seems to be suited more towards the 400m and I always knew eventually it would happen.

"Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders have done fantastically well in the 400m recently and I train with Christine at the Lee Valley and have had a few sessions with her which have been good.

"This year is an important year. Looking ahead to 2012 I hope to make the transition to the senior GB team and compete in the relay and individually as well and really start to put my name on the map by making teams for major competitions.

"I have generally been working on everything over the winter. Speed endurance for the 200m and 400m has taken up a lot of it obviously if I am going to move up to those distances."

It wasn't all positive for Duck in 2009, with the Marshall Milton Keynes AC athlete failing to make the final of the individual 200m during the European Under-23 Championships in Lithuania.

There was also the disappointment of narrowly missing out on selection for the World Championship relay squad.

But with no plans to compete during the indoor season, and a winter dedicated to training, Duck insists it's full steam ahead for European and Commonwealth qualification.

"I have the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games to aim for this year and it is good that I have two things to attack as opposed to one," added Duck.

"The British team might be quite split up across the two events so both competitions in terms of selection will be open so the aim is to get onto one of the senior teams at least.

"Last year was really up and down. Just before I went to the European Under-23 Championships I had a really up moment at the British Championships and World Trials when I won silver in the 200m. Then I didn't run as well as I had hoped in Lithuania but  won gold in the relay.

"After that there were talks about going to the World Championships as part of the relay team but it didn't work out - although it was very close and it taught me a lot."

* Joey Duck is training for victory in the new NikeWomen Fly Sister One shoe, featuring Diamond FLX technology, created especially for women to enhance multi-directional movement. NikeWomen.com