Dobriskey breaks new ground

Last Sunday in Berlin it was a silver medal lining for Lisa Dobriskey. Last night in Zurich it was the race of the Kentish woman's life. Well, the fastest 1,500m of her life. Just as in the World Championship final in the Olympiastadion five days previously, Dobriskey crossed the line third at the end of the metric mile in the Weltklasse meeting at the Letzigrund Stadion.

In the German capital, the 25-year-old Commonwealth champion was upgraded to second behind Maryam Jamal of Bahrain following the disqualification of the Spanish "victor" Natalia Rodriguez.

In Zurich the consolation came on the clock after Dobriskey got herself boxed on to the kerb with 200m to go and chased up the home straight in the wake of Jamal and Anna Willard of the United States.

Dobriskey broke the four minutes barrier for the first time – only the fourth British woman to do so, following in the footprints of Zola Budd, Kelly Holmes and Hayley Tullett. Her finishing time, 3mins 59.50sec, puts her second on the British all-time ranking list, behind only Holmes' national record, 3:57.90.

"I wanted it so much," Dobriskey said. "I had so much left. I got myself stuck in traffic before getting through and giving it everything up the home straight."