Lewis makes her return to competitive action this weekend Lewis coach defended

The Olympic heptathlon champion is unhappy that sections of the media, and IOC president Jacques Rogge, have questioned her choice of coach.

Arbeit has admitted administering drugs to female athletes in East Germany in the 1970s and '80s - a time when the country dominated women's events.

But Lewis feels she is being unfairly singled out.

"I have always lived by the rules," she said on Friday.

"My sport sets them out very clearly for everyone to adhere to and everyone working with me knows them and adheres to them.

"From the doctors and physios to the coaching team, that does not change.

It's been a long and lonely time - it will be nice to be back competing Denise Lewis

"My job is hard enough. The heptathlon is seven jobs, really.

"I am trying to climb back to the top of my mountain, and I cannot understand why they are trying to make my life more difficult than it is."

Lewis is competing in this weekend's European Cup of combined events in Tallinn in her first heptathlon since she gave birth to daughter Lauryn in April last year.

"Pregnancy is a pit stop, literally," she said.

"Thousands of women do it and break into their careers. I didn't believe for one second that I could not and would not return to the sport.

"The players may be different now but that network is the same and the aim is the same - to get me to where I want to be. To realise a new dream."

Lewis will take on two challenges in Talinn - achieving the qualifying mark for Paris, and helping Britain return to the top flight of multi-event athletics.

"Paris is the priority on an individual basis but promotion for the team is a very close second.

"We have a very strong team and if we hold everything together, we could even finish first.

"It will be nice to be part of the team and not be in the wilderness. It's been a long and pretty lonely time. It will be nice to be back competing."