An agonisingly close finish for Zoe Buckman in the 1500m semi-final at the IAAF World Championships in London has seen her miss a berth in the final by 0.18 seconds, running 4:05.93 to place 8th.
Buckman initially qualified for the semi-final after running 4:05.44 and placing 9th in a fast paced heat, advancing as a non-automatic qualifier.
A disappointed Buckman now has her sights set on finishing the season strongly and putting her best foot forward for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“I’m obviously disappointed to be one of the fastest losers, but I was happy to finish the way I did. I was actually catching people, rather than being caught myself,” Buckman said.
“I have to process it and see what I can do better. It’s tough at this level. It makes me appreciate what I did in 2013. I just have to be tougher and stronger.
“I’ve got a few more races this year. I want to run a good 800m, I haven’t been able to do them that much this season. I need to get out of the season what I can before I start to get ready for the Commonwealth Games.”
