OXFORD City's Kelly Caffel was in buoyant mood this week, despite failing to secure a place in Britain's athletics team for the Sydney Olympics.

The diminutive 21-year-old from Littlemore won the 1,500 metres bronze medal at the Norwich Union Olympic Trials and AAA Championships at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, at the weekend.

Caffel, who has battled back after leg injuries kept her out of the sport for most of last summer, clocked 4 mins 15.29 secs, a couple of seconds over her personal best.

However, this was well outside the Olympic qualifying time of 4 mins 8 secs, and so she knew that a trip to Sydney was always a pipedream.

"My only real aim to was to get a medal," said Caffel. "So I was really pleased to win a bronze." The final was dominated by the pair who had already qualified for Sydney, Helen Pattinson from Preston and Swansea Harrier Hayley Tullett.

Only Kelly dared to go with them as Pattinson led through 800m in 2:14.04, by which time she was some five metres behind.

When Tullett 'kicked' with 450 metres to go, Kelly did her best to hang on to Pattinson but finished 20 metres adrift and exhausted.

"My only disappointment were the conditions," said Kelly. "It was so windy that everybody's times were affected. So there was no chance of running a fast time.

"After all the training I've missed through injury, I lacked my usual endurance," she added.

Instead of training for the Olympics, Caffel will concentrate on running a few 800 metre races to improve her fitness. Kelly, who has graduated from Loughbrough University with a degree in psychology and sociology, has been helped with her expenses by her parents.

"I suppose now it's time to a get a part-time job," she said.

Her targets next year are the European Under 23 Championship in Amsterdam and the World Student Games.

DISCUS thrower Perriss Wilkins, from Banbury, also missed out on a place in the Olympics, despite having achieved the qualifying standard.

Wilkins threw 55.97 metres in Birmingham, which was only good enough for fourth place. Only the top two have made the team.