Great Britain’s Goldie Sayers, fourth in Beijing four years ago, failed to make it through the javelin heats in Stratford this morning.

With a target of 62 metres for automatic qualification to Thursday’s final, Sayers struggled from the start with a no throw on her first attempt.

Her second also fell well short of qualification at around the 40 metre mark and she winced as she threw it, a piece of strapping tape on her right arm.

She let out a cry of anguish on her third and final attempt but again she had no joy with the javelin and was way off the mark.

Afterwards she walked off, shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and lay down on the ground.

Sayers said: “I'm sure people have criticised me for competing injured. I did one throwing session a few days ago and that went well. But I caught a nerve in warm-up and couldn't feel my hand.”