Diane the English star

30/08/1998

CONTROVERSIAL but capable Diane Modahl will be among the five women
leading England's hopes of repeating their five-gold track and field haul
at the Commonwealth Games next month.
Diane, who had fought for four years to clear her name of a drug charge,
will attempt to repeat her 1990 Games 800m gold-winning performance.
World indoor triple jump record holder Ashia Hansen, two-time world
cross country silver medallist Paula Radcliffe, Victoria Games shot put
gold medallist Judy Oakes and European and Commonwealth Games heptathlon
champion Denise Lewis are also in the impressive entry list.
In 1994, Diane travelled to Victoria to defend her Commonwealth title,
and on the morning of her heat was told she had failed a drugs test at a
meet in Portugal earlier that year.
After she was cleared earlier this year, she took part in the trials for
the Games, where she secured her sixth national title by holding off a
challenge from Tanya Blake to win in 2:02.73.
While her lawyers are still locked in negotiations with the
administrators of the bankrupt British Athletic Federation for nearly STG1
million (RM6.7 million) in compensation following her 1994 ordeal, she has
been keeping fit for a Games gold.
Denise, 25, shot to fame when she won a bronze at the Atlanta Olympics
and has since won the 1997 World Championships gold in Athens, and will be
attempting to defend her Victoria Games gold in KL.
At Victoria she amassed 6,325 points to upset Commonwealth record holder
and favourite Jane Flemming of Australia.
Her current personal best is 6,736 points.
Denise won the heptathlon title at the European Championships in
Budapest last Monday despite the lingering effects of a left ankle injury
which had threatened to end her season prematurely.
Denise took a comfortable lead into the final event of the heptathlon,
the 800m, where her time of 2:20.38 was good enough to give her a total of
6,559 points and victory over Poland's Urszula Wlodarczyk, who tallied
6,460.
She has been training under coach Darrell Bunn in the south of France
but has been unable to do any speed work because of the ankle injury. The
ankle is said to have healed.
Paula is down for the 5,000m and her personal best is 14:45.51 while
Kelly Holmes will attempt to defend her Victoria 1,500m gold.
Judy is listed as having a personal best of 19.36m.
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