The 53.39 she ran at the Music City Track Carnival Festival in Nashville, Tennessee, made her the second fastest in the world at the time and positioned her as a medal favourite for the national championships. On Friday night, Knight was living up to her favourite tag after getting off to an explosive start that put her in command in the final but disaster struck at the ninth hurdle, which she hit and crashed to the floor.

Janieve Russell 53.63, Shian Salmon 53.82 and Rushell Clayton 54.20 would go on to claim the three automatic qualifying spots for this summer’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon leaving Knight to consider what might have been.

However, the 25-year-old University of Virginia graduate is putting the disappointment behind her and is ready to look to the future.

“Oh man,” she said afterwards, “but you know what for every disappointment there is an appointment and I cannot question God and I put my faith in Him. I know I was ready, I was well-prepared to run something fast but today was not the day.

“I am very disappointed but it happens.”

She said she is already looking ahead to the remainder of the season.

“I know the season is still ahead of me and I am ready to do something amazing and I cannot allow this race to end my whole season and I still ready to run something fast so I am just putting it behind me at this point because I know I am ready to do something amazing, so I will put this race behind me, right now.”

She admits that having the chance to make another World Championships team next year, also makes it easier to digest Friday night’s disappointment.

“I am new on the scene, this is my first-year pro so I still have a long career ahead of me and I know I have a lot of good things to do in the sports still.”