Ashford's Lisa Dobriskey powers her way to the front Pic: Barry Goodwin

by Alex Hoad at the Olympic Stadium

Lisa Dobriskey says she feels back to her old self after powering through to the Olympic 1,500m semi-finals.

The 28-year-old Ashford AC star cruised round in the pack in her heat on Monday afternoon before carving through the leaders in the final 400m to snatch victory in a photo finish in a time of 4.13.32.

The win was nice, but the top six all automatically qualified for Wednesday evening’s semi-finals, where she will be joined by GB teammates Hannah England and Laura Weightmann.

Dobriskey (pictured) received one of the warmest welcomes of the entire morning session and revealed she had been inspired to perform by the presence in the Olympic Stadium of her young nephew Joshua.

She said: “It was absolutely incredible. I think have definitely got the best job in the world to come into on a Monday morning.

“The crowd were fantastic, my young nephew Joshua was there in the crowd watching – he’s only down for the day - and I wanted to make him proud of me and I really hope I did. I really enjoyed it.”

Dobriskey turned on the afterburners in the home straight in a performance which evoked memories of her trademark strong finish before she was beset by injuries to her femur and career-threatening blood clots on her lungs in the build-up to the Games.

She said: “I have been really doubting my kick. I have had to do a lot of work and a lot of training to develop it but I had not actually put it to test in a race.

“I felt far more controlled and powerful and like my old self again. It’s definitely good for my confidence.”

The 2006 Commonwealth Champion and 2009 World Championship silver-medallist – who was fourth in Beijing four years ago – said she was ‘grateful’ just to be fit to compete at the home Games.

She said: “I’ve had a terrible last year with injuries and illness and things like that. You really take for granted what it feels like when you feel good, so I am really grateful to even be stood on the start line today. I’m very thankful.”

Dobriskey paid tribute to the support of her fans back home in New Romney, and revealed her nephew was not her only supporter present on the day.

She said: “I’ve got my mum and dad, my brothers and sisters here, I’ve got the whole clan, and the support from Kent is fantastic, I’m so grateful to everybody.”

Her dad Mike Dobriskey worked as a soil consultant during the building of the Olympic Stadium and gave his daughter a coin he found on the site, which she has kept as a memento.