Jodie Williams admits her personal best run on day two of the Glasgow Grand Prix has made her feel as though she belongs among the world elite.
The 20-year-old stopped the clock at 22.60 seconds to finish fourth among a star-studded 200m field at Hampden Park, including Olympic champion Allyson Felix.
And with a return to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, Williams was delighted at her performance in front of a raucous home crowd.
“It is a massive personal best. I’m just over the moon. I knew I had it in me,” said Williams, world junior 100m champion in 2010.
“It is really encouraging going into the Commonwealth Games and the Europeans – I couldn't have asked for more.
“Obviously looking at the line-up and seeing those names was a bit of a surprise but when I saw I was in the mix coming around the bend, I just thought, ‘you can do this Jodie’.
“I felt at home racing against these girls which is a really incredible feeling.”
Personal best times were set by home runners throughout the day, with 19-year-old Matthew Hudson-Smith finishing the 400m in 44.97 seconds – the second fastest time ever by a British teenager – to secure his place at next month’s European Championships in Zurich.
“I've no idea where that came from, no idea at all,” Hudson-Smith said. “It felt amazing. I could feel them pulling me along, that was difficult a factor.
“I don’t know if it’s a breakthrough or not but I know I can run even faster. The first thing I’m going to do is ring my mum Cheryl; she’ll be in a state of disbelief too.”
Crowd favourite Eilish McColgan ran a season's best time 9.44.69 minutes in the 3000m steeplechase, though was disappointed to place 12th in the field, while a swift 1500m race saw new lifetime bests for British quartet Jake Wightman, Chris O'Hare, Charlie Grice and Thomas Farrell.
Jessica Judd, 19, finished third in the 800m, just 0.33 seconds behind winner Ajee Wilson from America, though pipped compatriots Alison Leonard, Lynsey Sharp and Jenny Meadows at the line.
However, missing from the line-up was Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford, forced to pull out of the long jump in the warm up due to a knee injury.
But the British record holder still expects to be fit for the Commonwealth Games.
“Sadly during the warm-up I've ended up with a nerve irritation in the back of my knee,” he explained.
“I'd like to apologise for not competing and hope to make up for it in two weeks at Commonwealth Games.”
© Sportsbeat 2014