8 months ago

The 33 year old from Houghton-le-Spring in Durham ran a season’s best 15.41 seconds to finish fourth in her heat this morning (Saturday) but had to rely on a fastest loser spot to get into tonight’s final.

“I had a good start but I really need to start pumping my arms more to work hard right through to the finish,” she said.

“I stayed out on the track to watch the second heat and I was just saying, ‘Please, please get me through’. I hope I can have a better run tonight.”

Robson, who won gold in the event at Sydney 2000, goes in the final at 19:08 on the last night of Athletics action at London 2012. She just missed out on the medals in the T36 200m final a week ago, finishing fourth.

But Rhys Jones, from Tonypandy in Wales, missed out on a place in tonight’s T37 100m final.

The 18 year old first-time Paralympian had the consolation of running a personal best time of 12.19 seconds to finish fifth a heat in which South Africa’s Fanie van der Merwe equaled the world record.

“I had a really hard heat out there and Fanie equalled the world record,” said Jones. “It was a PB. I was hoping for under 12 seconds, but it was a massive headwind so I am happy. I got a good start and I carried it through, but those boys were just better than me on the day.

“It’s been an unreal experience. I watched these guys compete at Paralympic World Cup and now I’m here with them,” he added. “Having 80,000 people cheering for at a home Games has been amazing and it’s all been building blocks for Rio.”

Another young British athlete, Jamie Carter, finished sixth in his T34 100m heat in 17.75 seconds. But he couldn’t repeat his feat in the 200m, where he reached the final.

“I just didn’t feel I had the energy at the end,” said the 17 year old from Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.

“I’m one of the youngest on the team though and everyone said before the Games just to enjoy it. My aim was to make my finals and PB and I did that in my first race, I just wish I could have done it in both.”