Nick Westby: Determination assures Weightman of her dream final spot

The 21-year-old from the north east, a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, was 10th coming off the final bend of the second semi-final of the 1,500m last night.

The top five from the two semi-finals, plus the next two fastest qualified for tomorrow’s final, which at the start of the week would have been a bridge too far for Weightman.

Still being a student, these are heady days for the Morpeth Harrier who trains one day a week at Leeds Met under athletics coach Andy Henderson.

Twelve months ago as she battled against asthma and a knee injury, even running at her home Games seemed a far-fetched fantasy.

Rio was the likely target.

But a full recovery over the winter months gave way to improved form in this most important of years.

Her pace developed through the season, helped by an appearance in the Olympic Stadium in the spring in the British University Championships.

Then at the trials in Birmingham in June, she recorded a resounding victory in the mile event.

That sealed her place in the Olympics, but even then, qualification for the semi-final on Monday was seen as a great success for Weightman and a platform on which to build.

But she managed that, and after starting quickly last night before fading, there she found herself, 10th place with 100m to go, with the opportunity of a lifetime slipping through her fingers.

That, though, was where the adrenalin kicked back in.

Roared on by the 80,000 fans Weightman passed one opponent, then another before closing in on Lucia Klokova of Slovakia who was seventh.

“I was driving down that home straight, counting the people ahead of me and I knew then it would be incredibly close,” said Weightman.

With five metres to go, Weightman began to stoop and almost fell over the line with determination.

She had no idea if seventh would be good enough to qualify for the final but she wanted to at least know she had given everything she had got.

The scoreboard initially told her it wasn’t, before the official times were relayed to reveal that Weightman would indeed compete in the Olympic 1,500m final at London 2012. Her time was a new personal best of four minutes 02:99 seconds.

Weightman was in thanks to that lung-busting burst. Not giving up had reaped the ultimate reward. And the man who instilled that mentality in her?

Steve Cram, her head coach, a man who knows a thing or two about giving your all in an Olympics.

“Steve told me to never give up until you have crossed that line. And it worked,” said Weightman.

“I think he was more nervous than I was, I’m just delighted I got in to the final.”