ATHLETICS: Former Radley athlete Hatti Dean has vowed to repay the faith shown in her by the British Olympic Association after she was handed a late call to take part in the women's 3,000m steeplechase in Beijing.

Dean was ruled out of the Olympic trials in Birmingham after suffering a stress fracture of the ankle in the week leading up to the event.

But despite being unable to run, the BOA have named her alongside Helen Clitheroe and Barbara Parker to go for glory in China, subject to her making a full recovery.

Dean, who has now resumed light training, said: "I'm going through recovery at the moment. It's going really well.

"It was quite a serious stress fracture, but it was not a weight-bearing one.

"I think the injury was partly due to the hurdling, rather than the flat running."

When she suffered the injury on a training run, Dean admitted she thought her Olympic hopes had gone.

She said: "I never thought I'd be selected. The injury happened at totally the wrong time, and so I'm really grateful that the selectors showed their faith in me.

"I haven't let myself get too excited. It's one step at a time, because I'm still recovering at the moment, and I don't know what's going to happen.

"I'm doing a lot of swimming pool work and flat running, but I haven't even thought about hurdling just yet.

"Part of me thinks I am going to be fine, but I won't know for sure how I'm going to respond until I get back to hurdling again."

The 26-year-old believes that there is still plenty of time left in her career for Olympic glory - and with one eye on London 2012 - she says she will not take any risks this time around.

"If I get the OK from the doctors and the physios I will definitely be competing in Beijing," she said.

"I want to repay the faith that the BOA have shown in me and show them that they have made the right choice.

"But at the same time, I don't want to jeopardise my future.

"If it becomes obvious I'm not quite right, I won't take any risks.

"The Olympics would be the pinnacle for me. Because I didn't take part in the trials, I haven't got really excited about it just yet.

"Because this is a first for me, I don't think it's sunk in.

"I'm sure it will do if I can get to the start line."

Dean flies out on Saturday with the rest of the Olympic squad.

If she can prove her fitness, the heats take place in Beijing's Olympic Stadium on August 15, with the final on August 17.

And what does she make of her hopes?

"A fully-fit Hatti could get to the final," she said. "I think if I am 100 per cent, I can do that.

"Barbara Parker and Helen Clitheroe are pretty similar to me in terms of times. They are both running really well, so hopefully we can all make the final."