LONDON, (Reuters) – Tiffany Ofili-Porter heads for the world championships in South Korea this month as a realistic medal contender in the 100 metres hurdles yet any success is unlikely to appease those critics who have branded her a “Plastic Brit”.
The 23-year-old was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a small city close to Ann Arbor, and competed for the United States as a junior before she became eligible last year to represent Britain thanks to dual citizenship through her London-born mother.
This season the five-times U.S. college champion has blossomed into a genuine world-class athlete whose best time of 12.6 seconds, a British record, has only been bettered in 2011 by four other women.
But the sniping has continued from sections of the British media who say she is competing under a “flag of convenience” and only switched because she is not good enough to represent the country of her birth.
Former British record holder Angela Thorpe, who had held the mark for 15 years, was also moved to say she was “absolutely distraught” when she heard who had taken her record.
Ofili-Porter said she could not understand why the knives were out for her.
“It doesn’t bother me, I’m a very tough person, trust me, I’ve been through things in my life where criticisms and negative press and negative people really just don’t get to me,” she told Reuters yesterday, three days before competing at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace where she will again lock horns with in-form Australian Sally Pearson, the fastest woman over the distance this year.
“I have in fact had dual citizenship since birth… I’ve always had that option for competing for Britain, and I could also compete for Nigeria,” she added.
“I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t hear the different criticisms, I hear what’s going on but I don’t focus too much on it.
“I’m here to hurdle so that’s where my focus is but I do want to improve and show, not only the British media and the British public, but the world, that Tiffany Porter is one of the best hurdlers and that she’s looking to improve and put her stamp down here on the track.”
SHORT SHRIFT
The dissenters get short shrift from Charles van Commenee, the head coach of UK Athletics.
“Charles has been very supportive the whole time, he understands how difficult the media can be sometimes as well, he talks to me and tells me to continue to focus on hurdling because that’s what I’m here to do,” added the 2006 world junior bronze medallist.
“At the end of the day, I’m here to represent my country in the hurdles, not in responding to media or stirring up some sort of controversy.
“With that being said I do want everyone to know my story and to hear it from me and not to just believe what everyone else is saying.
“I’m very proud of my multi-national background. It’s who I am, it’s who I’ve always been and I’m not going to apologise for who I am. I’m just going to continue to better myself as a person and as an athlete and hopefully people… the British media… will see me as a very loyal team mate and athlete.”
Ofili-Porter, who first broke the British record when clocking 12.77 in May, lowered her personal best further to 12.6 at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco on July 22.
She said she was “in the form of her life” thanks to being a better athlete “mentally and physically”.
Despite her confidence — “I never shoot for second place”, she said — Ofili-Porter also knows she has to improve further to get on the medal podium in Daegu, South Korea.
“I’m going to have to run a pb. 12.60 is not going to win but I’m very confident if everything falls into place the way that I’m hoping it will be great.”
