Jenny Meadows ran the fastest indoor 800 metres of her life to smash her own British record at the World Indoor Championships but it was still not enough to take the gold medal.
Instead, the title went to Russian Mariya Savinova, the reigning European champion, who overtook the Wigan athlete in the final straight to triumph in a world-leading time of 1min 58.26sec.
Meadows crossed the line in 1min 58.43sec, slicing a huge chunk off her previous British record of 1min 59.11 which she had set only last month at the Birmingham Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old, who was named captain of the GB team as a reward for her plucky 800m bronze medal at the outdoor World Championships last summer, had used her pre-championship speech to urge her team-mates to perform with confidence and not be cowed by the occasion in Doha.
Buoyed by the sound of ‘God Save The Queen’ booming around the Aspire Dome just seconds before the race as Dwain Chambers received his 60m gold medal, Meadows followed her own advice by tucking in behind the early leader, American Alysia Johnson, before surging to the front 300 metres from home.
But as a gap quickly opened up, Savinova responded to Meadows’ attack, clawing her way back on to her shoulder by the final bend before sprinting past her with 20 metres to go.
“With 100 metres to go I was thinking, ‘I’m going to win it, I’m going to win it’,” said Meadows.
“I looked up at the screen and I saw who was behind me and I kept thinking, ‘keep going, keep driving’.
“But Maria has run 52.05 for 400 metres this year so I knew I was up against it. When she passed I just kept on driving.
“But the time says it all. Hopefully, there are big things in me to keep building on, but I will have to be content with silver this time.”
Meadows will have a chance to avenge her defeat at this summer’s European Championships, and she has already set herself a target of 1min 57.50sec outdoors. Yesterday’s performance suggests she is well on course.
Her rapid improvement within the last year was more psychological than physical she said, having overcome the inferiority complex that used to plague her in the big races.
“I have been in this short of shape previously and it is like I have been too scared to go out and execute it,” she said.
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