- West Ham United fan Christine Ohuruogu returned to London Stadium on Friday
- Newham-born runner won 400m Gold at Beijing 2008 and Silver at London 2012
- Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill also among world-class athletes on show
The 2016 Anniversary Games – doubling up as London’s stop on the IAAF Diamond League circuit – featured a blistering 100m hurdles run from American Kendra Harrison and an appearance from Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt.
More than 40,000 fans were present for an evening of top-class track and field at the London Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – the Hammers’ stunning new home for the 2016/17 season.
A host of 2012 Olympic medallists returned to the venue of their heroic performances of almost exactly four years ago, including heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill and Newham resident and 400m Silver medallist Ohuruogu.
It does look nice and if West Ham can look after the Stadium for us, then we’re going to be grateful
Speaking exclusively to whufc.com, the 2008 Olympic and two-time world champion said she and her West Ham-supporting brothers were looking forward to seeing the Hammers in action at their new home.
“It’s really great because my family are here and we all live literally down the road!” said Ohuruogu. “It’s nice to get people to come to east London and see a real top-class field of quality field of athletics and sport.
“It does look nice and if West Ham can look after the Stadium for us, then we’re going to be grateful.
“It’s fantastic. I was here on Sunday and, even though I have been here many times, every time I come here it completely blows me away. I absolutely love it here.
“I am a West Ham fan and I’ve got six brothers, so any tickets you can get for me, I know they’d be grateful!”
When asked about her prospects of winning a medal at a third straight Olympic Games in Rio next month, the 32-year-old east Londoner kept her cards close to her chest.
Ohuruogu has already secured her place in Team GB and ran a season’s best time of 51.05 seconds in London on Friday to finish fifth behind Bahamian Shaunae Miller.
“I’m happy with a season’s best and I would like to have booked a time,” she explained. “I knew it was going to be a quick race and I know I dropped off some way, but I don’t know why I dropped off. I would have liked to have booked a time. I would have liked to have run 50.8 or 50.9.
“As long as I’m good to train, my coach has all the answers and I know he’ll sort it out. I’m trying to get myself ready for Rio.”
“It’s really great because my family are here and we all live literally down the road!” said Ohuruogu. “It’s nice to get people to come to east London and see a real top-class field of quality field of athletics and sport.
“It does look nice and if West Ham can look after the Stadium for us, then we’re going to be grateful.
“It’s fantastic. I was here on Sunday and, even though I have been here many times, every time I come here it completely blows me away. I absolutely love it here.
“I am a West Ham fan and I’ve got six brothers, so any tickets you can get for me, I know they’d be grateful!”
When asked about her prospects of winning a medal at a third straight Olympic Games in Rio next month, the 32-year-old east Londoner kept her cards close to her chest.
Ohuruogu has already secured her place in Team GB and ran a season’s best time of 51.05 seconds in London on Friday to finish fifth behind Bahamian Shaunae Miller.
“I’m happy with a season’s best and I would like to have booked a time,” she explained. “I knew it was going to be a quick race and I know I dropped off some way, but I don’t know why I dropped off. I would have liked to have booked a time. I would have liked to have run 50.8 or 50.9.
“As long as I’m good to train, my coach has all the answers and I know he’ll sort it out. I’m trying to get myself ready for Rio.”