Christine Ohuruogu takes silver in the women's 400m

The crowd in the Olympic Stadium roared for a truly local hero as Christine Ohuruogu took silver in the women's 400m last night.

Born to Nigerian parents in Newham, east London, the 28-year-old was raised less than a mile from the Olympic Park in Stratford.

Her main rival, the US's Sanya Richards-Ross, took gold but Ohuruogu came from nowhere to put in a powerful late charge to take second place.

She looked exhausted but elated as she basked in the crowd's applause.

She told cheering spectators at London's Olympic Stadium that she should feel proud of herself despite failing to defend her 400m Olympic title.

"The realisation hit me when I crossed the line that I had lost my title, but the crowd has really uplighted me," she said, after collecting her silver medal.

"I think I got a bit spoiled in keeping on winning gold medals. You only want to win gold but it has been a really tough few years."

The runner, who won gold in the same event in Beijing, described competing in a Games on her own doorstep as a dream come true.

Speaking before the race, she said: "I would never have thought, growing up, that something as huge as this could come here and change the area forever."

Educated at St Edward's Church of England School, Romford, and Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green, Ohuruogu is one of eight siblings.

She trained with the Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club alongside another star of the 2012 Games - Mo Farah, who yesterday won gold in spectacular style in the men's 10,000m.Tim Mundle, former senior ladies team manager at Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club, has worked with Ohuruogu since she was 18.

He said: "She had been struggling for form since Beijing but we weren't worried - you can see from the way she runs that she is full of confidence and can produce the goods when it matters.

"She was in about fifth place as they came on to the straight but the last 100 metres is her strongest so I knew she could pull it off.

"I'm delighted for her, she deserves every success."

He added that the Games had been fantastic for the club, with Ohuruogu and Farah taking medals and other athletes competing in the long jump and men's 400 metres.

"We are so proud of what everyone has achieved," he added.

"To have so much success in a Games in our own neighbourhood is the kind of thing you can only dream of."

He recalled Ohuruogu's first day at the club: "She was a netball player when she arrived but she developed a real love of athletics and has blossomed ever since."

James Harrison, 29, from Greenwich, was in the stadium to watch her victory.He said: "I think the Games have captured the whole country's imagination but those of us who live nearby feel a special connection.

"This is the first event I've attended so it was great to be able to cheer on a local girl. She did us proud."

Ohuruogu had clocked a season's best of 49.70 seconds but it was not enough to beat her long-time rival Sanya Richards-Ross of the US, who ran 49.55 seconds.

Dee Dee Trotter of the US came third in a seasons best of 49.75 seconds.Ohuruogu said: "I thought I was going to get her, but then I started tightening up and I just knew that it was not going to work.

"I could feel my shoulders lifting up and my back was arching and then I thought, 'No it is not going to happen."