Buxton's Abbie Wood admits she is gutted after narrowly missing out on Olympic medal

Buxton’s swim queen Abbie Wood says she is gutted to have missed out on an Olympic medal.
Abbie Wood swam the race of her life but it wasn't enough to make the 200m IM podium. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Abbie Wood swam the race of her life but it wasn't enough to make the 200m IM podium. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Abbie Wood swam the race of her life but it wasn't enough to make the 200m IM podium. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Wood swam the race of her life to produce a personal best of 2min 9.15sec in the 200metres individual medley final.

But it was not enough to make the podium as the Loughborough University student agonisingly missed out on a medal by just 0.11 seconds.

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"It's just gutting,' said Wood. 'It was such a close race and I knew it was going to be that way. It was who got to the wall first.

“It is bittersweet. I am happy with the time. I knew I couldn't have done much more. If it was off my PB and I came fourth it would have been a lot worse.

“All I could see was the American next to me. Maybe in the race I was getting a bit excited with that and just forgot about the last 5m and putting my hand on the wall.

“I obviously didn't see the girls on the other side and that's why it is hard being in the middle. You've got to keep an eye on everyone. I felt I paced it just how I wanted to. That's just sport I suppose.”

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In a tight final Wood, who will start her hunt for 200m breaststroke glory later today, had swam her way into gold medal contention in the closing stages and just missed out on the ultimate glory by 0.6 seconds.

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But her fourth-placed finish has capped a remarkable rise for Wood, who failed to even get out of heats at the 2017 World Championships in Hungary after finishing 20th.

"I feel like moments like this I do have to remember that I was talked out of quitting in 2017 after my first worlds,” she added.

“I have really grown as a person since then. Just really grown up. You do have to remember moments like this to make these ones not feel as rough.”