A devastated Tasha Williams sobbed in the arms of New Zealand throwing coach Debbie Strange after missing a Commonwealth Games medal she said was hers for the taking.
The Christchurch hammer thrower qualified second for last night's final at a packed City of Manchester Stadium but could only manage sixth witha throw of 60.43m.
It was 5m outside her personal best and more than 6m off the winner Lorraine Shaw, of England, who brought the house down with a Games record of 66.83m.
Williams, who turns 29 next week, qualified with a distance of 62.37m in the morning session and couldn't explain why she never got into the groove in the final in front of a crowd of 38,000.
She faced a large New Zealand media contingent and bravely kept her composure before seeking solace from Strange.
"I knew I could throw better than I did this morning. The medal was there for the taking," a tearful Williams said.
"I wanted to get some good throws away early to try and get rid of the nerves but I just couldn't hit any. I was more than capable of throwing more than 65m."
Williams, a former New Zealand women's rugby rep, denied there was any pressure on her after she was tipped as New Zealand's first medal hope at the Games.
