Kelly's best just isn't enough..

With the absense of World and Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft in this year's Olympics, many expected big things from our very own Kelly Sotherton in the Heptathlon.

And rightly so. After Bronze in Athens, Commonwealth gold already in her grasp and some much needed improvement in the Javelin event, Sotherton was feeling good about her chances. This could be her year, said the always outspoken Sotherton. She wasnt going for the experience, not to make up the numbers. She was going to Beijing to win.

Kluft herself had even said so, tipping Sotherton to win.

Unfortunately, those predictions proved to be wide of the mark, as despite beating her score from the World Championships last year, and coming only 30 points short of her best score ever, Sotherton eventually finished in a disappointing fifth.

Always a strong runner, Sotherton has always struggled on the more technical events of the Heptathlon. And that proved to be the case once again.

Despite obvious improvements in the Javelin, it proved to be her downfall once again, with a personal best throw of 37.66m only doing enough to keep her in fifth place.

And things continued in the same vein in the Shotput, with a 14th place finish setting the rot Kelly now found herself in.

And more suprisingly, Sotherton's long jump let her down as well, with a jump of 6.33m well below her personal best. A score that was especially disappointing in an event where Kelly is usually strong.

Things improved in the running events, with five personal bests to speak of in the 200m, 800m, and Hurdles. There were five personal bests overall. But it wasnt enough. The damage had already been done. And Sotherton knew it, cutting a forlorn figure on the track. Her chances of Olympic gold had evaporated - and she knew it.

With all this being said, for Sotherton to even be at the Olympics was an achievement in itself. Only 3 months previously Sotherton was suffering from kidney failure, and this was her first Heptathlon event since the World Championships last summer. These factors may have contributed to her downfall.

So what next for Sotherton? The World Championships begin next year, with Sotherton vowing to continue until then at the very least.

Consistency is needed across the board if Sotherton is to prosper there, however.