CANTERBURY hockey club's ladies’ captain Mel Clewlow is ready to shrug off Olympic disappointment and prolong her international career.

Clewlow has been mulling over her future ever since Great Britain missed qualification for this year’s Athens Olympics.

Great Britain travelled to New Zealand in March as favourites to win the final qualifying tournament but failed to finish in the top two of their group before losing 2-0 in the play-offs to Korea.

Clewlow was joined in the 18-strong squad by Canterbury clubmates Anna Bennett and Hilary Rose, both of whom have since announced their retirement from international hockey.

Clewlow, the 28-year-old from Littlebourne admitted she had considered following suit but had a change of heart after attending a GB squad debrief at Bisham Abbey.

She explained: “Just before the debrief we were all sent e-mails asking us what our intentions were. I basically put on my sheet that I’d retired but once I was at the debrief I felt differently.

“When I quit I want it to be on my terms and in a way there’s a sense that I’ve got unfinished business.”

Clewlow, an international since 1996, already has two Commonwealth Games silver medals and she admitted that the prospect of playing in a third games, at Melbourne in 2006, proved alluring.

She does, however, believe that GB should think long and hard about who they appoint to replace team leader Tricia Heberle, whose resignation after three years in charge takes effect officially on July 9.

“Tricia got so many things right that it’s going to be hard for someone to come in and fill her shoes,” said Clewlow. “We’ve pretty much lost all our lottery funding so no-one is sure what’s going to happen.

“There are already four or fives named being bandied about but whoever it is, it’s got to be someone I feel I can work with.”

Clewlow admits that Britain’s failure to make the Olympics still hurts, but the time has come to move on.

This is her first summer off from hockey since 1996 and for the past fortnight she has been back at work, at Canterbury accountants, Reeves and Neylan.

Canterbury start their pre-season training in six weeks’ time, and the club could face a rebuilding programme.