ATHLETICS: Is Hatti's dream over (From Oxford Mail)

ATHLETICS: Is Hatti's dream over

9:00am Friday 29th June 2012 in Athletics By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

Hatti Archer last night accepted her Olympic dream was all but over after failing to run a qualifying time in the European Champion-ships.

The 30-year-old former Radley athlete clocked 9mins 57.00secs to finish tenth in her 3,000m steeplechase heat in Helsinki yesterday.

This meant she didn’t qualify for tomorrow’s final – and her time was 14 seconds slower than the A standard she needed to make London 2012.

It means Archer is now clinging to the hope that the Great Britain selectors pick her as a wildcard – but was not optimistic.

“It is unlikely I will be picked for the Olympics, but I will get some more races in August.,” she said.

“I will definitely keep going.”

Archer also tweeted: “Couldn’t have done anymore today, ran as hard as I could, but just not got enough sessions behind me unfortunately.”

Archer finished second in the UK Olympic Trials at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on Sunday, which meant a sub-9.43 run would guarantee her a spot at London 2012.

She ran 9.37.95 in the Rome Diamond League meeting in May 2011 and has a personal best of 9.30.19, which may help her case when the selectors meet on Monday.

But it looks as if she will be ruled out, with the niggling hip injury she suffered earlier this summer proving too much to recover from in time.

Archer added: “I haven’t done the sessions this season, I’ve had quite a lot of injury problems and I haven’t got any track sessions in – I’m lacking that speed.

“I feel strong, but I’m not used to running that pace.

“Even when I am fit I find the first lap or two take longer for me to get going than other people and I always like to come through the field.

“Both physically and tactically that’s how I race, but when I’m not fully fit it shows up even more.

“I tried to keep up, but I couldn’t – the gap was growing only very slowly and I was running the same pace for a few laps.

“But I couldn’t get back to them which was very frustrating.”

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