JEMMA Simpson faces a nervy 48 hour wait to discover whether her Olympic dreams will survive.
The 28-year-old will discover on Monday whether she has done enough to earn a discretionary place in the GB team for London 2012 after failing to achieve the ‘A’ standard in Helsinki on Friday night.
Despite a brave run Jemma was ran out of the race by a searing pace, eventually fading to a seventh place finish in a time of 2.02.14.
Her Team GB rival Lynsey Sharp will also be forced to rely on selectors discretion despite finishing second in the European Championships Final with a personal best of 2.00.52 to secure the silver medal.
Five athletes will compete for three places; Marilyn Okoro, Emma Jackson, Jenny Meadows, Simpson and Sharp.
Okoro and Emma Jackson both have the current ‘A’ standard but missed out on the top-two finish at Alexander Stadium they needed to guarantee their place in London.
British number one Okoro set off at a suicidal pace and paid for it in the closing stages, finished fifth, while Jackson revealed afterward she was running with a broken rib, was seventh.
Jemma, said: “There is still hope but it is now out of my hands. I am completely confident that with another couple of weeks training it wouldn’t be a problem for me to achieve the standard. I am making progress, I am getting quicker but I now need to go back and work on my strength work.
“I was running perfect splits for a 1.58/59 through 400m but I ran out of strength in the last 200 and that is simply because I haven’t had time to do any speed work.
“Obviously I haven’t progressed from the Trials last weekend because I had to come to Helsinki but I am wouldn’t have been able to run at that pace three weeks ago so it shows I am moving forward, I’m getting quicker and have confidence in my abilities.
“Now it is down to the selectors to make the right decision. I have ran at the A standard last year and they know what I can and can’t do so I just have to hope they make the right decision.”
Edinburgh athlete Sharp has good form but she has never ran to the ‘A’ Standard and looks likely to miss out. Okoro has run three current ‘A’ standards this summer, Jackson one, while Jenny Meadows, who has not run this year due to an Achilles injury.
Meadows was forced to withdraw from the trials and then the former world bronze medallist withdraw from the European Championships claiming her Achilles injury had resurfaced during the flight to Helsinki. She has warned the selectors she will appeal if they do not select her.
Interview
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