Barr forced to play waiting game

D-DAY has arrived for Vicki Barr and she will discover today whether she will line up alongside Olympic champion Christine Ohurougu in the 400m relay team.

British athletics chiefs are still finalising their plans with the announcement scheduled 24 hours before they compete in the semi-finals.

With Ohurougu, who ran a sensational race to secure her gold on Tuesday, and World Championship silver medallist Nicola Sanders along with Scotland's Lee McConnell assured of their places it is a case of working out the other piece of the jigsaw.

At last year's World Championships 800m runner Marilyn Okoro completed the quartet but Barr, who has run the fourth fastest time in the UK this year, insists she is worthy of her place in the Bird's Nest.

She said: "I feel I have earned my right to be in Beijing.

"I have worked really hard to get here but I have not just come for the experience, I want to take part.

"I'd honestly be really disappointed if I was not involved.

"There are going to be five people used with one person involved in the heats.

"I desperately want to be part of the Olympics but it is not in my hands at the moment so I am just crossing my fingers."

Barr bagged second place at the National Championships in July but the return of big guns Ohurougu and Sanders from injury saw her squeezed out of a place for the individual 400m.

And Barr admitted she is still disappointed she could not have been alongside Ohurougu in the final.

She said: "I've ran well at a couple of event but I haven't ran as well as I know I can so it is a little disappointing.

"I'm going as part of the relay team, but I know myself that I could have ran quick enough to go as an individual. It is tinged with a bit of disappointment, but it is an Olympics and it is great to be going.

"I'm still feel I am in the shape to run a 51 and I believe I'll do that this year before the season ends.

"It is a little strange going as part of the relay team, with everyone competing while I'm waiting for it to get started."

DANIEL SCHOFIELD in Beijing