Kris goes for gold

OLYMPIC dream: Kris Ogden hopes to be officiating at the Games

AN Oldham sports fan could be slam-dunking her way to the basketball finals of the London 2012 Olympics as a Games official.

Kris Ogden (43), from Moorside, has been passionate about basketball since she started playing for Saddleworth in 1984.

Knee injuries saw her retire from the game in 2002 but she swapped centre court for court side seats when she became a table official.

The role of a table official is to keep score, keep track of incidents like fouls, and timekeeping.

Kris, who works as head of performance and quality at Oldham Community Leisure, finds out in December if she has been named an official for the Olympic Games in July and Paralympic Games in August.

She said: “I find out whether I’ve been picked just before Christmas so it would be a great present.

“The Olympics and Paralympics are the ultimate event you can ever hope to officiate at, you can’t get any higher.”

Kris has officiated at all levels, from local league and junior games, to wheelchair basketball, the Euro basketball League and the World Basketball Championships last year.

To secure her spot, she has taken part in a series of workshops and assessments before the final shortlist of 44 officials is announced in December.

She said: “I’ve come so far in the sport, from playing to officiating so to take part in both Games would be a dream come true.

“Basketball is very fast paced, especially at the highest level, so you have to be extremely accurate.”