Sanders just misses out on final

Published 21 Aug 2009 09:00 0 Comments

Share this

Athletics

NICOLA Sanders did her best to keep smiling in Berlin at the weekend - despite missing out on a place in the World Championship final by 0.15 of a second, writes Tom Oldfield.

The 400m ace gave it everything she had inside Berlin's iconic Olympiastadion but her bid to repeat her 2007 heroics and medal in the German capital came to a premature end at the semi-final stage.

Sanders (pictured right) produced her best run in two seasons as she clocked 50.45 seconds in Sunday's semi but narrowly missed out on the final fastest losers spot as she crossed the line in fourth.

Jamaican Shericka Williams was first past the post in a blistering time of 49.51 while Russian Antonina Krivoshapka and Debbie Dunn of the USA both ducked under 50 seconds to qualify.

And Sanders, 27, did her best to focus on the positives of her display as praised the scorching times posted by the top three.

"I went out as hard as I could but just didn't have the legs to bring me home," said Sanders, who had looked good in her heat on Saturday finishing second in a time of 51.64.

"But those girls ran crazy fast so I'd have needed to run a personal best more or less to make the final. The winning time in my semi-final would have won gold in Beijing last year.

"It's always hard to be happy when you don't get through but that was my fastest time for a couple of years, since Osaka I think, and if I'm honest I really couldn't have done any more. I just couldn't finish it off against those girls.

"I know I got off to a great start out there but that doesn't help me now. The finish line is where it all counts."

Her attention will switch to the 4x400m relay, having run a sub 50-second time in the relay final in Beijing last year.

"I guess you wonder a little bit about what might have been if I hadn't had all the injuries leading up to this. But I don't want to look for excuses," she added.

"We've got to go after a medal in the relay now. We've won bronzes at the last two World Championships so anything else would be a big disappointment."

Aviva has been the team behind UK Athletics for over a decade, supporting the Aviva GB & NI Team both at home and abroad. Please visit aviva.co.uk/athletics to find out more.

This article appeared in Royal Borough Observer 21 Aug 09

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.

Follow @windsorobserver