Jeanette Kwakye refused to hide behind three years of injury woe after her return to the global athletics scene at the World Championships ended at the 100m semi-final stage.

After taking the Aviva UK Trials & Championships title in July, Kwakye, an Olympic finalist in Beijing in 2008, insisted she was capable of mixing it with the world’s best again in South Korea.

However it was not to be for the 28-year-old in Daegu when, despite progressing relatively comfortably through her opening round, she laboured to sixth in her semi-final.

Kwakye’s time of 11.48 secs was well down on her season’s best of 11.15 and left the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies sprinter struggling for answers in the South Korean heat.

After enduring nearly three years of injury hell since Beijing 2008, the chief tormentor being a knee injury, Kwakye had a ready-made excuse for her rustiness on the world stage.

But she was having none of any suggestions of viewing her Daegu struggles in the context of her previous troubles, insisting she was fit and ready to do better in the Apple City.

“I don’t know what happened in the semi-final, it was really weird,” said Kwakye, who prepared for the World Championships at a training camp funded by Aviva, supporters of British athletes since 1999.

“I ran slower than I did in the heat, that’s something for the books. They were slow times so I could have easily qualified for the final but I didn’t.

“We could talk about where I have been and the injuries I’ve had all day long but I’m back now and all of that is in the past.”

All hope is not lost for Kwakye with the 4x100m relay still to come, which kicks off in the Far East on Sunday.

Kwakye has fond memories of providing Britain with a solid finish at major championships, helping the squad to sixth in the World Championship final in Osaka in 2007.

But Kwakye was struggling to focus on her second chance of glory after missing out on her number one priority in Daegu, an individual 100m final berth.

She added: “I wish you could tell me where the race went wrong, I have no idea.”

Jeanette Kwakye has been selected for the Aviva GB&NI Team at the World Championships in Daegu, Korea.

Aviva’s support, both at home and abroad, is helping the team prepare to compete at their best.

To find out more, go to aviva.co.uk/athletics or follow us on Twitter @AvivaAthletics.