Ashford's Lisa Dobriskey (pictured) learned the hard way about the importance of good timing in Beijing last year and it’s an error she vowed to learn from at next week’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

In Beijing she paid the price for starting her sprint finish about 10 yards too late and trailed home just outside the medals in the women’s 1,500m Olympic final.

It’s was a hard lesson that left even the unfailingly positive Dobriskey both ‘gutted’ and ‘disheartened’.

"There is a lot of pressure on me this year because of coming so close last year," admitted Dobriskey, who won Commonwealth Games 1,500m gold in Melbourne three years ago.

"I don’t want to be on the cusp of being a world-class athlete any more.

"Beijing was such a big step forward for me, it proved that I can be competitive on the biggest stage and against the best in the world.

"That is what makes this World Championships so important, I don’t want to take a step back."

However, Dobriskey’s involvement in Berlin had looked unlikely just one month ago.

She missed the Aviva National Championships in Birmingham through injury and only returned to action with a solid performance at the recent London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.

• Lisa Dobriskey is a GB&NI team athlete, benefiting from the Aviva funded UKA preparation camp ahead of the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.Visit aviva.co.uk/athletics for more information.