TWO years after almost quitting the sport, and after a couple of sleepless nights in Beijing, Christine Ohuruogu last night became the first British woman to win the Olympic 400 metres title. After Germaine Mason had claimed Britain’s first athletics medal of the Games with a surprise silver in the high jump, Ohuruogu produced a storming finish to overhaul favourite Sanya Richards and add Olympic gold to the world title she won in Osaka last year. Ohuruogu won in a time of 49.62 seconds as Richards blamed a hamstring injury for tying up badly down the home straight and could only finish third behind Jamaica’s Shericka Williams. "I don’t know where I am right now," said Ohuruogu. "You never think it’s a reality, it’s something you dream about. "As I came across the line I thought ‘Oh my gosh’ – I don’t know what to say. "I’m just so proud of myself. Today I warmed up for an hour and a half. "I had to keep stopping and sitting down to sort my head out. "I felt tired, I hadn’t slept for the last two nights, the pressure was getting to me. "I thought ’If I don’t win, what will happen?’ As it gets closer and closer you get more scared and realise it is a lot harder than it you think it is." Just over two years ago Ohuruogu was considering quitting athletics after being suspended for 12 months for missing three out-of- competition drugs tests. But she continued to train during her ban and returned to competition to win the World Championships in Japan last year ahead of team-mate Nicola Sanders, less than a month after the suspension expired. Her place on the British team was only secured after she successfully appealed against a BOA ban from competing at the Olympics. "I believe I have been given an amazing talent and I am thankful I am able to come out and perform because championships is where it’s at," added the 24- year-old, who also won Commonwealth gold in Melbourne in 2006. "You have to believe in yourself, you believe in the talent you have been blessed with and that you can go out and do it. "I just know I am here and have won a gold medal and that is all that matters right now. "I don’t really care what people think or say, they can say what they like. I have come here and got what I wanted and I’m happy." Richards was not in Osaka last year after failing to qualify but looked the woman to beat after the heats. However, the American went off too quickly in the final and paid the price. "I had a race plan but as usual it went out the window," added Ohuruogu. "I was in my own world. People said ’Did you know Sanya had gone off very hard?’ but she was in lane seven and I couldn’t see her. "All I had to work off was the Russian girl outside me who I knew would go off very hard and at 200m I was annoyed with myself that I had left myself too much work." While Ohuruogu’s performance was not a surprise, Mason’s silver was a welcome bonus. The 25-year-old equalled his personal best with a clearance of 2.34 metres to finish second behind Russia’s Andrey Silnov, who secured gold with a first-time clearance of 2.36m. Russia’s Yaroslav Rybakov took bronze after matching Mason’s clearance of 2.34 but losing out on countback after two failures at 2.32m. Mason, who was born in Jamaica but switched nationalities in 2006, had one failure at 2.29m and then opted to pass on that height, moving up to clear 2.32m and 2.34m with his first attempts. That had the 25-year-old in gold medal position until Silnov also cleared 2.34m at the first attempt to maintain his flawless record in the competition, the Russian also clearing 2.36m in style. Mason then failed with his three attempts at 2.36m but rightly celebrated Britain’s first high jump medal since Steve Smith won bronze in Atlanta in 1996. Before Smith, brothers Cornelius and Patrick Leahy in 1908 and 1900 respectively had been Britain’s only male Olympic medallists. Team-mates Tom Parsons and Martyn Bernard finished eighth and ninth respectively after failing to clear better than 2.25m. "I am a bit speechless but I am very happy and overwhelmed. I feel like Superman!" said Mason, who high-fived 100m champion Usain Bolt in the mixed zone while talking to reporters. "I did the best I could, equalled my PB (personal best) and got a silver medal. "I was a bit nervous but the crowd were amazing, they gave me energy and I did it. "I most definitely exceeded expectations. My coach believed in me more than I believed in myself, which is good, you need a coach that is positive. "I went way above my limits tonight - personal best and silver medal. "I feel very British. Britain is my home and it will be forever. "I spend six months a year in Jamaica doing a lot of training with Stephen Francis and Asafa Powell and then I come back to Europe to compete on the circuit." | 
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