Scotswoman Lynsey Sharp qualified comfortably for the semi-finals of the 800 metres but revealed her disappointment that her disabled father, former sprinter Cameron Sharp, had not been well enough to attend her race in the Olympic Stadium.
Cameron, 54, who won a European 200m silver medal in 1982, suffered a devastating brain injury following a car crash in 1991 and his mobility is now severely restricted.
Lynsey, the European 800m silver medallist, had hoped that he would be able to travel to London from his home in Edinburgh and watch her Olympic debut from one of the areas reserved for disabled spectators but she said that it had proved beyond him.
“Obviously, I wanted him to be here but he made the decision not to come,” she said. “It was just too much bother. He had a fall a few months ago so he didn’t want to risk it. He said himself it was probably easier to watch it on TV.
“I spoke to him on Skype last night and it was the first time I had seen such emotion in him. He’s not the most emotional person but certainly at the Europeans and this, he’s been doing a lot of smiling.
“He just told me to enjoy it, that was the main thing, and that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so just use it.”
