Commonwealth Games: Hurt over for Hamblin

New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin finished second in her heat in the 1500m. Photo / Getty

The pain of the last four years faded for Nikki Hamblin as she produced another solid performance at the Commonwealth Games.

Hamblin has endured a torrid time since winning double silver in Delhi, with a spate of injury problems problems seeing her question her future in middle-distance running.

But all the hurt would have been forgotten, for a few minutes at least, as Hamblin qualified second-fastest for the final of the 1500m at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

Second in her heat behind a Games record-breaking time from Kenyan Hellen Obiri, Hamblin came home in a time of 4:05.08, cutting two seconds from her season's best.

She was one of 12 athletes to progress to Wednesday morning's final, set for 8.50am NZT, where she will hope to complete her comeback with another podium place.

That result would certainly provide some consolation for the lost last four years of her career. Set to run at the London Olympics, Hamblin suffered heel pain, eventually determined to be bone spurs, that kept her from the Games.

A torn Achilles came later the same year but now the 26-year-old is back and ready to attempt a repeat of her feats in Delhi, with heats in the 800m set for Thursday.

Compatriot Lucy van Dalen, meanwhile, failed to make the final of the 1500m, finishing seventh in her heat in a time of 4:14.86.