JASON Lobo scorched into the Great Britain team for the World Athletics Championships in Spain later this month by smashing his personal best at Crystal Palace yesterday.

The former Blackburn Harrier had already booked a provisional berth on the plane for Seville at the national trials last month.

But he went into yesterday's meeting knowing it was his last chance to make the 800m qualifying time of 1min 46.3 secs before the deadline ran out today.

Lobo wasn't phased though and knocked nearly one and a half seconds off his personal best to confirm his place by finishing seventh in a time of 1min 45.82secs - just over a second behind race-winner David Kiptu of Kenya.

And that also means he's now made the qualifying time for the Olympics in Sydney next year.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Lobo.

"Obviously, the pressure was on me to do it down there and it all went to plan. "The weather wasn't looking very good in the morning before the race but I just went for it and managed to pull it off.

"It was a world class field so I got an easy ride through the first 600 metres.

"Then, I kept working hard and managed to make it.

"It's a massive achievement to knock one and a half seconds off my personal best at that standard - it's taken me up to another level.

"And that's now the qualifying time for the Olympics next year and yesterday's race counts so I can now concentrate on preparing for the trials instead of having to go around chasing a time."

Lobo was expecting to receive confirmation of his World Championship place today before the Great Britain team is officially announced tomorrow.

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