East End Women’s Museum: Christine Ohurougu

Christine Ohuruogu, MBE is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champion. She is a track athlete who specialises in the 400 metres event. She holds the record (along with Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey) for medals in most successive global championships – 9 between the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Growing up and starting out in sports

Christine was born and raised in Stratford, Newham and still lives there to this day. As a child, she and her brother would often go out and play in the parks. She wasn’t much interested in sports until she started playing netball as a child.

Ohuruogu has revealed that netball was her first passion and track came later. She was playing netball professionally while starting track, but later gave up on the former after being told by her coach that she had real talent in athletics.

In 2008 she competed for Newham in the London Youth Games in both netball and athletics and was later inducted into the London Youth Games Hall of Fame in 2009.

She was also a member of Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club.

The 2012 London Olympics

As a Stratford resident, she was one of the key faces of the 2012 Olympics. She has stated that as a member of the local community she was proud of what the Olympics had done for her area and that she was in awe of the transformation of Stratford that happened before her eyes.

“The London Games will always be my most memorable championships” – Christine Ohurougu