JUST three-thousandth of a second denied Sarah Claxton a place in the final of the 60 metres hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia.

The Colchester athlete was desperately unlucky not to make it into the final.

Claxton had run 8.12 seconds in the fourth heat to take her place in the semi-final, where she equalled her season's best time of 8.07 seconds.

The 28-year-old's time placed her level with Russia's Aleksandra Antonova to claim the last place in the final eight, but it meant nine athletes had qualified.

However, the Palau Velodromo stadium only allowed room for eight lanes and officials had to split the pair. They decided the Russian had been quicker by 0.003 seconds.

Claxton had been tipped to better her British record of 7.96 seconds.

Prior to the event in Valencia she believed she was capable of that and if she had been given a chance to do so in the final, it would have been enough for a medal.

The loss of Swedish world record holder Susanna Kallur through injury - following her run of 7.87s in the heats - had left the final wide open.

America's Lolo Jones raced to the gold medal in 7.80s ahead of compatriot Candice Davis, who ran 7.93s, and Cuban Anay Tejeda, who finished in 7.98s.