A risky semi-final run puts the 28-year-old powerhouse into the IAAF World Championship final, but can Eilidh Child do enough to come within medal contention?
The Perth born, 400m hurdler started her childhood as a butterfly swimmer but soon realised her specialist skills that would make her flourish in the 400m hurdles as well as the 4x400m relay. She slowly built herself up until 2009 where her personal best for the 400m hurdles improved greatly to a competitive 55.32 seconds, bettering by over a second.
2009 was also the year Child qualified for her first World Championships, finishing in silver medal position behind fellow British team-mate Perri Shakes-Drayton. This enabled her to advance as an athlete until she confidently qualified to the London 2012 Olympics, representing Great Britain and advancing to the semi-finals.
Hurdles final could be springboard for further success
On the back of this experience comes Child's most recent achievement of a gold medal in the 2014 European Championship in Zurich. 2014 brought a fantastic season for Child, can she prove that in 2015 she is ready to go global?
This year’s IAAF World Championship athletics showed the 28-year-old advancing to the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles and finishing in a third place position, narrowly taking her through to the finals with a time of 54.80 making her one of the two fastest losers.
With Childs fellow British team-mate Meghan Beesley narrowly missing out on a place in the final with a time of 54.41, Child is to take on fastest qualifier, and 2013 world champion, Czech Zuzana Hejnova as the only British athlete in the running.
Child will take on the likes of favourites Kailese Spencer, Cassandra Tate and Zuzana Hejnova in Wednesday's 400m hurdles final, where she will battle it out for a gold medal position and global recognition. With a personal best of 54.22 Child has the technical ability and speed to rival Hejnova in the final, could Child upset the odds in this year's final?