KENT athlete Kelly Holmes (Ealing, Southall and Middlesex AC) has spoken of her disappointment after suffering a shattering fall in the 1,500m final at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest.

The drama happened with three laps to go, as she began to move through from the back of the field.

She appeared to clip the heel of another athlete and crashed to the track, in a shuddering repeat of how Mutola fell when she clipped Holmes’ heels at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham.

Holmes leapt up quickly and sprinted on to the end of the echelon again, but did not have the legs to get involved when the inevitable finishing surge began and finished ninth in 4:12.30.

The title went to Kutre Dulecha (Ethiopia) in 4:06.40, ahead of Carmen Douma-Hussar (Canada), who clocked a National record of 4:08.18.

Holmes, from Sevenoaks, said afterwards: “I am gutted. There is really nothing to say. I fell over. I tried. I didn’t get a medal."