GOLDIE Sayers’ torn ligament in her elbow will not end her dream of medalling at the London Games.

The Newmarket-based javelin thrower suffered the injury during last week’s London Grand Prix – a bitter-sweet competition for the 30-year-old after she broke her own British record.

It has been reported that Sayers has responded well to treatment during a training camp in Portugal and she will consult with former British Olympic silver and bronze medalist Steve Backley over how to compete with the injury.

Backley, who suffered from chronic knee problems during his own successful career, told BBC Radio 5 Live that Sayers could still end her tournament on the medal podium.

He said: “It’s no great revelation that an athlete gets injured. It’s very common. It’s stuff that you learn to deal with. It’s more about how these athletes cope with them.

“When you talk about an injured elbow in javelin, it is so typical. You have got an injured elbow a lot of the time. Permanent damage? With soft tissue, is there such a thing? The body heals.

“It’s not all bad. It won’t necessarily give her the freedom to just walk into there and be completely confident.

“A lot of the athletes carry niggles. It’s how they cope with it. The British team has a wonderful medical team around it and she will be given the best support she possibly can.

“The challenge for her is getting through qualification. If she can do that she has got a chance in the final.

“Absolutely there is [a chance of Sayers getting a medal]. It might just be the thing that focuses her mind and brings everything in tune.”

Sayers, who finished fourth in Beijing four years ago, will have to make do with strapping the elbow as she cannot have any pain-killing injections to help her compete as there would be a risk of her losing feeling in her hand, making her unable to grip the javelin.