Christine Ohuruogu completed her journey from sporting exile to the top of the Olympic podium when she won the 400 metres in the Bird’s Nest stadium yesterday.

However, the wild celebrations at her family home in Stratford, East London, a short jog from the site of the new Olympic stadium, were tempered by questions about her suitability to be the poster girl for the 2012 Games.

Ohuruogu, 24, is now the most successful track athlete in Britain, with the Commonwealth, world and Olympic titles, but she will be haunted for ever by the three missed drugs tests that resulted in her being banned from the sport for a year. “I don’t really care what people say or think,” she said yesterday. “I’m happy.”

Her time of 49.62 seconds was enough for her to beat the favourite, Sanya Richards of the USA, and become the first British woman to win the event and only the fourth to claim a gold medal on the track.

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The taint of suspicion continues to divide opinion, however. Under new International Olympic Committee rules she would have been barred from competing in Beijing because those who have served a doping ban must miss the Games after the ban expires. The rule is not applied retrospectively.

Speaking after she won the world title in Japan last August, Lord Coe said: “She could be one of our ambassadors, but we have never discussed anyone being the face of 2012.”

Last night he was part of the presentation party that handed the medals and bouquets to Ohuruogu, Shericka Williams and Richards. “He was really happy, it’s been a great British Olympics,” she said.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, sent his congratulations, and Gordon Brown has said he will send a personal letter to all of Great Britain’s Olympic medalwinners.

Ohuruogu missed three random drug tests between October 2005 and July 2006. Athletes have to say where they will be for an hour every day for five days a week; a UK Sport tester can then turn up at the allotted place unannounced.

After the third missed test, Ohuruogu received a one-year ban from the International Association of Athletics Federations, athletics’ governing body, and had her British Sport Lottery funding stopped. She took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it upheld the ban while stating that there had been “no suggestion that she is guilty of taking drugs” and that “this case can be viewed in all the circumstances as a busy young athlete being forgetful”.

Ohuruogu was also banned for life from the Olympics because of a British Olympic Association bylaw barring anyone with a doping conviction from representing Britain. Ohuruogu completed her one-year exile only three weeks before the World Championships in Japan last year, where she made a remarkable comeback by winning the 400 metres. She then overturned her BOA ban on appeal. The independent Sports Dispute Resolutions Panel agreed that there had been significant mitigating circumstances.

Her reason for missing the second test was that she was at home finishing an article for a charity newspaper when she should have been at Northwick Park, North London. Ohuruogo said she spoke to the tester, who told her she was allowed to wait for only an hour, when it would have taken the athlete 90 minutes to make the trip.

The final straw came when she was not at the Mile End stadium when a tester turned up. “We went to train at Mile End but there was a school sports day so we made a last-minute change and went to Crystal Palace,” she said.

It remains to be seen whether London 2012 and commercial sponsors now embrace her. However, Olympic greats such as Jonathan Edwards and Steve Cram applauded her triumph. “I have never seen an athlete prepare for races so perfectly,” Edwards said. Cram added: “Christine is almost a reluctant hero, but she is made for the big occasion.”

Ohuruogu is also a resilient figure. One of eight children born to Nigeri-an parents, she took a part-time job at Newham Council in East London during her exile and ran up debts of £20,000. When asked whether the controversy had changed her, she said last week: “I think it just defined who I was. I’m the same person, I’m just a bit more robust than I would have been.”

Britain’s previous female track champions have all been honoured. Ann Packer is an MBE, Sally Gunnell an OBE and Kelly Homes is a Dame. Time will tell whether Ohuruogu’s past prevents her joining them.

Fame and fortune

Dame Kelly Holmes

Middle-distance runner who hit the headlines after winning gold medals in the 800 and 1,500 metres in Athens in 2004. Retired from athletics in December 2005 and has become a television personality, appearing on programmes such as Dancing On Ice and Superstars. Works with nine charities and runs mentoring programmes and promotes companies such as Norwich Union

Daley Thompson

Won gold medals in the decathlon in Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984. After his retirement from athletics in 1992, he moved into television presenting, motivational speaking and fitness training. Appeared in commercials for Lucozade, played football for Mansfield Town and has also worked as a fitness coach with Boris Becker and Tim Henman

Sir Steve Redgrave

Rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1988 to 2004 works for the BBC and has his own leisurewear clothing range. Has endorsed brands such as Walkers and Flora ProActive, runs his own charity and works as a motivational speaker. Britain’s greatest Olympian has also written three books and been knighted

Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards

The first competitor to represent Britain at Olympic skijumping was working as a plasterer before he set off for Calgary in 1988. His comically inept performances earned him a place in the nation’s hearts and commercial success.

Edwards released books, videos and records before he was declared bankrupt in 1992. Has trained to become a lawyer and a film of his life, starring Steve Coogan, will be released this year