Driscoll misses final but makes history

Great Britain's trampolinist Kat Driscoll missed out on making a historic Olympic final, but she still rewrote the record books at London 2012.

The 26-year-old Tyne and Wear-based gymnast was devastated as she fell agonisingly short of a top eight finish by a fraction of a mark.

Driscoll finished in ninth place, Britain's best ever result in Olympic trampoline, beating Claire Wright's 10th place finish four years ago.

Driscoll scored 100.985 with her two qualifying routines, just 0.010 points behind Russia's last-placed qualifier Victoria Voronina.

Canada's Rosannagh MacLennan won gold with a score of 57.305 ahead of China's Huang Shanshan in silver and 2008 Olympic champion He Wenna in bronze.

"I feel like I should have been in the final, but never mind," Driscoll said after coming to the end of her Olympic journey.

"It is the highest finish we've had in the Olympics for a woman but it's so disappointing to be less than a tenth.

"You hope you've done enough and then you have to sit and watch and hope something comes of it.

"To finish ninth when the top eight make the final is a horrible position to be in."

Until two years ago, Driscoll worked full-time at a high street bank, but after receiving funding from UK Sport and the National Lottery, was able to focus on trampolining and take the once in a lifetime chance of competing at a home Olympics.

"The crowd were fantastic," Driscoll said of the support in the North Greenwich arena, where the Olympic trampoline event was held.

"To compete in front of them was an honour. I'll never get that back.

"It was a fantastic thing to be a part of."