Williamson targets Games gold with Folkard

Folkard, 28, has been at the height of her sport since arriving on the scene and is already a veteran of two Summer Games - Athens and Beijing - but the competition has not always been kind to her.

At the Beijing Olympics, Folkard, alongside Williamson and Charlotte Burgess, missed out on a team bronze medal to France by two points, going down 203-201.

And at last year’s Commonwealth Games Folkard, this time with Williamson and Amy Oliver, was just pipped to the gold by home nation India.

But the bad luck did not stop there as at last month’s Olympic test event the trio narrowly lost 206-200 to Japan, meaning they finished just off the podium at Lord’s.

But with London 2012 fast approaching, Williamson believes their golden chance has finally arrived, and she is backing Folkard to play her part in the glory, if the two are selected.

“I think that if we were all being honest then all of us in the women’s team would say that it is the team event that we most want to win gold, I know it is the same for me,” said Williamson.

“The team won’t be selected until next year but I know that Naomi will be doing all she can to stay in the fold, just like myself, and after what we have been through I hope we can.

“We have had some pretty galling near misses in the past and it continued at the test event last month where we finished fourth.

“If we finished fourth at London 2012 it would be arguably the worst place to finish so perhaps it is a good thing that we have got it out of our system.

“The signs are there and if we just work that little bit harder I think we can get that long-awaited gold.”

 Williamson was speaking at the Nottingham leg of the ‘nearest & dearest’ roadshow in partnership with P&G - supporting family and friends of all Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes in the lead up to London 2012.

Visit www.pgproudsponsorofmums.co.uk for more information.