Athletics: Holmes refuses to apologise for Ceplak slur

Two problems confronted Kelly Holmes when she woke up yesterday morning, and she did not deal well with either of them.

The most pressing concern was the fall-out generated by her startling comments about the 800 metres winner, Jolanda Ceplak, which seemed to clearly imply that the Slovenian's performance was based on illegal methods.

"There was no way of catching her," Holmes said on Thursday night after chasing Ceplak down the home straight for a bronze medal. "Without saying too much, take your own guesses. I know I did it fairly and with progression."

Yesterday, however, she attempted to backtrack on the comments which have provoked censure from her home federation and fellow athletes.

"I didn't make any insinuation about anyone," Holmes said after failing to get through her early morning 1500m heat – the second of her two problems. "Two people beat me and everyone assumes I'm pointing the finger at them. I just wanted to say I ran cleanly, there's nothing wrong with that."

Asked if she felt she should apologise to Ceplak, the 32-year-old Olympic bronze medallist said: "I cannot comment on Ceplak. I've got nothing to apologise to her for. I didn't name anybody."

Jonathan Edwards, who also contributed a bronze to the British cause on Thursday in the triple jump, was scathing about Holmes's outbursts to the written media and BBC TV.

"It always seems to be the prerogative of the middle and distance runners to get their knickers in a twist about drugs," he said. "Kelly has been ill-advised and she may live to regret what she said."

Dave Moorcroft, chief executive of UK Athletics, said: "Kelly should really leave this sort of thing to the drug testers. That's what they are there for. The vast majority of athletes are clean, and when anybody makes comments like this it does no good for the sport in this country and worldwide.

"As far as we are concerned Jolanda Ceplak is a clean athlete. She deserved her victory and should be commended."

What made Holmes's comments the more surprising was the fact that she shares a race agent with Ceplak, Robert Wagner, and therefore has spent time travelling around Europe with her.

"Kelly owes me an apology," Ceplak said. "She said she ran fair and clean. Well, I have too. I've never heard anything like this. I consider her a friend – we are a team because we have the same agent. After the semi-final we said good luck to one another for tomorrow.

"It was my work out there in the final. I have trained hard for 15 years for this and she's not going to spoil the moment."

Ceplak added that Britain's 110m hurdles world-record holder Colin Jackson, for whom Wagner also acts, had put his arm around her shoulder and told her: "Be happy, don't think about what anyone else says."

Perhaps the two women will have been able to sort out their differences by the time they meet over 1500m at Crystal Palace on Friday week. Or perhaps not.