Nelson out to turn a tough year around

Ella Nelson has struggled this year to rediscover the form that almost carried her to a spot in the Rio Olympics 200m final.

Ella Nelson.

Australia's Ella Nelson missed the 200m final at the Rio Olympics by just one hundredth of a second. (AAP)

After the dizzying highs of the Rio Olympics, things haven't gone to plan for Australian sprinter Ella Nelson in 2017.

But she insists she still has time to turn her form around in the 200m at the world championships in London.

Nelson set a personal best of 22.50 seconds in the semis in Rio, missing out on a spot in the final by one hundredth of a second.

She seemed to have the world at her feet.

To date she has been unable to replicate that form in, with the low point a shock loss to Papua New Guinea's Toea Wisil at the Australian titles in early April.

"It's been tough, I'm not going to lie but every year is different, that's what everyone keeps telling me," the 23-year-old said.

"The end goal still remains the same and that is to run well at the world champs.

"All the stuff at the beginning and the middle doesn't matter as much as long as the end is (a success).

"I've spoken to quite a lot of athletes and well-known Olympians and they all say the year following is really difficult, sometimes subconsciously, sometimes consciously."

Nelson was in tears after the loss to Wisil in Sydney.

"I wouldn't say it was a shock but each race presents certain challenges and for me there was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes and off track that looking back have played a bigger part than I initially realised," she said.

"Regardless you only have to run well at one major championships and that is only once a year whether it is the Olympics, the world championships or the Commonwealth Games - they are the big ones."

Nelson trains with the star-studded Altis group in Phoenix.

The squad spent 10 days in Monaco fine-tuning their preparation for the world championships.

Nelson will be joined on the start line for the 200m heats in London on Thursday by teen sensation Riley Day.


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Source: AAP



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