HURDLES star Hayley McLean admits she is starting to feel like herself again after winning a bronze medal at the national championships.

The 20-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope feared she would not have a track season this year after suffering a nasty injury in the spring.

McLean, who represented England at the Commonwealth Games last summer, sustained a seven-inch tear to her quad while in warm weather training.

The injury forced the Chelmsford AC athlete to miss two months of training and almost cost her the entire track season.

But she has got herself back on the track and despite some early rustiness, McLean feels things are coming together again.

The bronze medal in the under-23 women’s 400m hurdles at the national championships at the weekend served to solidify that belief and now the former Hassenbrook School pupil is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“I really thought my season was over,” said McLean, who competes for Chelmsford AC. “I actually tore my quad twice. The first time it was a two centimetre tear and I was told it would be three weeks to heal.

“I didn’t really listen to that and thought everything had healed within a week, did a grass session and tore it again. But this time it was a seven centimetre tear.

“I was absolutely devastated at the time but looking back now, it could have been a blessing in disguise.

“It was my first major injury and I rushed things to get back. Next time I’ll know that you have to listen to my body and I won’t do that again.”

After getting the all clear to start training again properly in April, McLean has been playing a game of catch up.

The reigning European Junior 400m hurdles champion wanted to compete for another European title, this time in the under-23 age group, this summer, but the injury has all but ruled that out.

Her times have not been as fast as she has produced over the past two seasons and the former Palmer’s College student says she didn’t really feel herself on the track, until this past weekend.

“That was the first time I felt like I was going into a race with a decent amount of training in me,” said McLean who clocked 59.50s for the bronze medal on Sunday. “I felt like myself again. I had so much time off that previously I just felt weird out on the track.

“But it felt so much better at the weekend and it really feels my season is starting now.”

McLean, who moved to coach Lloyd Cowan’s training group in September, says she now hopes to gradually improve over the summer and to get herself ready for a big year next year when the Olympics come around again.

“There is still a lot of the season left,” she said. “There is going to be opportunities to run fast times and, who knows, try to get World Championships or Olympic qualifying times?

“I don’t have any pressure now and hopefully that will mean I can go out and run some fast times which will set me up for next season nicely.”

McLean’s next race is in Belgium this weekend.

Elsewhere, it was a case of so near yet so far for Thurrock athletes at Bedford.

Khai Riley La-Borde, Thomas Head and Joshua Olawore all finished in fourth place, just outside of the medals.

Riley La-Borde clocked 14.33s in the final of the under-23 men’s 110m hurdles and now faces a nervous wait to see if he wins selection for the European Under-23 Championships.

The Purfleet 19-year-old has the qualifying time but as he didn’t finish in the top two in Bedford, will have to wait to see if the selectors are willing to take him.

Aveley’s Olawore was close to winning a medal in the under-23 men’s long jump but ultimately his best leap of 7.30m came up just short while Grays hammer thrower Head also just missed out on a podium spot with his best throw of 66.84m in the under-20 men’s competition good enough for fourth.