St Albans' Phoebe Gill misses out on 800m Olympic final

Running in the first of three semi-finals in the women's 800m, the St Albans Athletic Club star needed to finish in the top two or be one of the two fastest losers.

Starting in lane seven, she put herself on the outside of the pack at the bell before moving onto the shoulder of the leading three going into the final 200m.

The Harpenden St George's School pupil could not improve on that position down the home straight and it left her with a nervous wait to see if her time of one minute 58.47 seconds was good enough to be one of the final two places.

The second semi-final though was quicker and with that, Gill's Olympics was over.

Phoebe Gill on the start line at the Paris Olympics. Picture: MARTIN RICKETT/PA (Image: Martin Rickett/PA)
Gill, just 17-years-old, had qualified third from her heat in Friday's round one, but admitted that the occasion had almost got the better of her.

She said: "It’s very emotional being out there. It’s my first time in that sort of arena, and, you know, it’s the Olympics. It’s the best competition in athletics, and seeing my face on the screen when the camera came around, I was trying not to cry.

“I was like, you can’t break down before doing 800m. Even in that cool room, having that camera on me, it’s something new.

"And it really reminds me, I’m in a top league now.

"I’m so proud of myself, because I was looking at photos of myself yesterday, doing primary school cross-country league, and I just think she would be so happy that I’m here now in Paris, doing the Olympics, because it was a big dream of mine."

British team-mates Jemma Reekie and Keely Hodgkinson were also in the semis.

Reekie ran faster than Gill but only managed fifth in the second semi. However, Hodgkinson romped to victory in the third race, cementing her position as the pre-Games favourite. 

The final is tomorrow (Monday) at around 8.47pm.