Robilliard crashes out in Gateshead

Saturday 10th July 2004, 12:00AM BST.

KYLIE ROBILLIARD’S hopes of a hat-trick of English Schools hurdles titles vanished yesterday morning in Gateshead. The hot favourite for the national 80m sprint hurdles title fell heavily in her semi-final and failed to qualify.

Robilliard, by far the quickest in the field by entry standard, was way in front when she smashed into the seventh and penultimate barrier.

‘She really knocked it badly,’ said her mother Michelle, who was at the event.

‘But because she was going so quickly, she fell,’ added the athlete’s mother.

Having picked herself up, the fastest sprinter in the Channel Islands bowed to the crowd and jumped the last hurdle before finishing with a rather large track burn for her efforts.