McConnell plays down Olympic medal hopes

LEE McConnell is waiting to hear if she will receive an Olympic bronze medal for her part in the British women's 4x400 metres relay team at the 2004 Athens Games.

The race result is to be changed after one of the winning United States quartet, Crystal Cox, was recently found guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs. The British team finished fourth and will be upgraded to third place – and it is expected medals will be awarded, which would make McConnell the first Scot to gain Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medals.

As she promoted the Super8 event in her home city of Glasgow to sharpen up ahead of the European Championships yesterday, though, McConnell said she is not allowing the issue to distract her.

"A bronze medal is not coming my way just yet," she said. "It is at the back of my mind but I have to focus on the European Championships and Commonwealth Games later this year. There are still a few procedures to go through before that (a medal] is confirmed. It's all to do with the IAAF and the governing bodies. I'm not 100 per cent sure what's happening with it but I don't have the medal in my hand and until I do, I don't have an Olympic medal."

McConnell will compete in the 200 metres at Scotstoun Stadium on 7 July ahead of her planned trip to Barcelona for the European Championships. The 31-year-old aims to complete her qualification for the 400m days before and so will compete a shorter distance when she captains the Glasgow team. "Stepping down in distance just three weeks out from the European Championships will be great preparation, and it will be magical to perform as captain at the centrepiece of the opening of Scotstoun Stadium," McConnell said.

The competition will see Glasgow compete against teams from Gateshead, Plymouth, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, London and Cardiff. Other athletes confirmed for the competition include world 800m bronze medallist Jenny Meadows and Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Tasha Danvers.