Too much alcohol ruins season for Pechonkina
MOSCOW, Sept 5 - World 400 metres hurdles champion and world record holder Yuliya Pechonkina said she has ruined her season by using too much alcohol on her body.
"I just burnt my skin by having too many of these vodka-soaked compresses," the Russian told the All Sport news agency. "It's too bad because I missed most of the year with this injury."
Pechonkina, who won her first global title at last year's world championships in Helsinki, made a winning return at the annual Russia-U.S. meet in Moscow last Saturday, clocking 53.14 seconds -- the second fastest time in the world this year.
"I'm satisfied with my time for my first competition of the year but I'll need at least another month to a full recovery from my injury," the 28-year-old said. "I hope to run better at this month's (athletics) World Cup in Athens."
Pechonkina set the world record clocking 52.34 seconds at the 2003 Russian championships to beat American Kim Batten's eight-year-old mark of 52.61.
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
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