LONDON 2012 steeplechaser Stuart Stokes admits he feels vindicated after deciding to carry on chasing his Olympic dream following heartbreak four years ago.

Chorley teacher Stokes, 35, the 12th fastest British athlete to run the 3,000m steeplechase, failed to qualify for Sydney and Athens, and missed out on Beijing 2008 despite meeting the qualifying standard.

Stokes, who teaches PE and geography at Holy Cross Catholic High School, quit the sport for nearly a year after being left disillusioned by a fourth-place finish in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

However, he remained on track following major disappointment in Beijing and it eventually resulted in being selected for London 2012 - as he runs in the steeplechase qualifying round today.

“It has been very emotional making my first Olympics. I failed to make Sydney, failed to make Athens, and failed to make Beijing,” Stokes (pictured inset) said.

“So when I got the call it wasn’t a case of jumping for joy; it was literally breaking down and crying. It was very emotional and just a massive relief. There was so much emotion because this is 25 years of hard work.

“I feel vindicated for deciding to carry on after Beijing. I have read about a lot of people who haven’t made the team this year and are going through the same thing I went through four years ago.

“You feel you were good enough. You feel you have made the standards and you were overlooked somewhat.

“I feel what some of the other athletes are going through at this stage because it is terrible. Everyone has put themselves on the line because it is the Olympics.

“But luckily for me I have moved past that now. I have put that to rest now because I have made the team.”

A father of two, he will be the oldest member of the GB men’s track and field squad at London 2012 – but he will also be the most sentimental knowing this will be both his first and last Olympics.

“I knew I would always look back for the rest of my life and be very proud of what I had done as an athlete but I had just failed to reach the pinnacle of anyone’s career, which is the Olympics, so it was a massive relief,” the Sale Harriers Manchester athlete added.

“The home Olympics was key for my motivation. Looking back I think if I had made the team in Beijing I wouldn’t be an athlete today “If London didn’t win the Olympics then I probably wouldn’t be an athlete today as well.

“The fact that it was a home Olympics, I just knew in my heart that if I didn’t give it one last try I would be sat at home regretting it.

“We are all there for very different reasons and I am going there for the experience because I am on my way out as it were.

“Don’t get me wrong, I will run my heart out and I want to do well. But I won’t beat myself up if I am half a second too slow or whatever. I just want to look back on it as a reward for 25 years of hard work.

“I will be savouring every single step. I am sure when I cross the finish line I will have a couple of minutes on the track to myself and look around and just take it all in.

“I will then go on to the next part of my life – but what a great way to finish off this chapter.”

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