A TEARFUL Jessica Judd was devastated to finish agonisingly short of the medals in the Commonwealth Games 800m final.
The 19-year-old was inconsolable after the race, which looked to be going perfectly for her until she admitted her “legs went with 80 metres to go”.
“I’m absolutely devastated,” she said afterwards. “To come fourth in a final is the worst place to come.
“I was so close with 150m to go. I was concentrating on running a good final bend and I did that but my legs just went with 80m to go.
“Tactically it was a good run. I got myself in a good position, I just died. I don’t know what happened. I went from feeling really strong to just dying.”
The race was won as expected by the Kenyan world champion Eunice Sum in 2m 00.31s with Scotland’s Lynsey Sharp (2m 01.34s) and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo (2m 01.91s) finishing strongly in the closing stages to win silver and bronze.
Canvey teenager Judd finished fourth in 2m 1.91s.
“I really thought this would be my time,” said Judd who admitted just being in a major final was an achievement given she had three months out this winter with a fractured back.
“Yes, if you had told me that at the start of the season, I would have laughed,” she said. “But it was really disappointing to see Lynsey Sharp medal. Obviously, I’m delighted for her but I’m so jealous.
“I thought whatever happened tonight I was going to cry. It’s been really stressful and tiring. I’m so, so disappointed to come away without a medal.
“But I’m really proud. I could not have given anything more. I did everything I could and I’m proud of that.”
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