Hannah England said her Achilles injury had ultimately cost her a place in the Olympic 1,500m final.

The 25-year-old Oxford City athlete was gutted to miss out on tomorrow’s showdown after finishing ninth in her semi-final last night.

England had been playing catch-up ever since she suffered the ‘spike’ injury to her Achilles heel in Holland on May 27 and could not regain the sharness she needed.

The Oxford athlete looked good in progressing from Monday’s heat, but could not back that up with the faster time she needed last night.

She said: “I didn’t go on the track for five weeks. That is pretty hard to come back from.

“It was a gap too big in the whole of the season. I had hoped I could make the final.

“Maybe I could have if I had done better?

“I still feel my Achilles. It is still sore and has been sore every day since it happened for the last ten weeks.”

England went through 400m in 1min 6secs and 800m in 2.15, but found herself at the back of the field with a lap to go.

She gained some ground, but her time of 4.06.35 saw finish ninth and four places off a final spot.

The world silver medallist began the season as an Olympic medal contender, but in the end did well just to make the Games after her injury.

England added: “In the space of a minute, I went from hoping to get a medal to ‘can I even get here?’ “It is great to be here, but it is hard to feel that immediately afterwards.

“I can take a lot from it. I worked really, really hard to get myself in shape.

“I managed a couple of 4.05s, which was pretty decent after taking almost a month off, but I’m still gutted.”

Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey clocked 4.05.35 to finish fourth in England’s semi and reach the final.

Laura Weightman, the third Briton to reach the semis, made the final as a fastest loser after recording a personal best time of 4.02.99 in the second race.

American Jenny Simpson, who pipped England for gold at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, finished last in the second semi-final after clocking 4.06.89.