Lee McConnell to miss year to have a baby

London Olympic semi-finalist Lee McConnell has announced she will not compete this year as she is expecting her first child with husband Craig Bonthron in early November.

Lee McConnell has announced she will take a year off athletics because she is pregnant. Picture: Getty

“The pregnancy has come as a bit of a surprise but we are ­absolutely delighted with the news,” the 34-year-old 400 metre runner said. “I plan to ­continue to train throughout the pregnancy but will not be competing this year.”

McConnell will therefore miss the World Championships in Moscow in August but hopes to be able to compete on home soil in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.

She added: “With regard to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games I would ideally love to be back on the track but it is going to be a big challenge and will depend on how the pregnancy and birth goes. But, either way, I will certainly be keen to be involved.

“2014 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for me. And it’s all happening in Glasgow! A home Commonwealth Games, my first baby. I’m really excited.”

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “We are really pleased for Lee and her husband Craig and we will work with her closely on her fitness and return to competition in 2014.”

McConnell was not the only athlete announcing a pregnancy yesterday, with Kenyan 10,000m and 5,000m world champion Vivian Cheruiyot also revealing that she is expecting her first child. It means Cheruiyot will not be able to defend her titles in Moscow.

She said on her Facebook page: “I am very happy to ­announce that I will take some time off from athletics this year as I am pregnant with my first child. I have been running for many years and, at 29, feel that now is the right time to start a family.

“Unfortunately I will not be able to defend my World ­Championships 5000m and 10,000m titles in Moscow but I will be back for the 2014 ­season and the 2015 World T&F ­Championships in Beijing.

“I have already spoken to some of my colleagues who had babies to get advice about when to return to training after 
giving birth. My long-term goal is the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and to finally win ­Olympic gold.”

Meanwhile, double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann ­Fraser-Pryce has pulled out of the BT Great CityGames ­Manchester on Saturday because of injury.

The Jamaican aggravated a hamstring complaint at last ­Saturday’s Diamond League meeting in Shanghai. Fraser-Pryce was due to race over 150m against the likes of Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix on a specially-constructed track on Deansgate in the city centre.

Dwain Chambers will race in the men’s 150m and Olympic champion Greg Rutherford in the long jump, while Paralympic 100m champion Jonnie Peacock is one of the Paralympic athletes who will be competing in the event for the first time.