JESSICA Judd wept tears of joy after sealing her spot in Great Britain’s squad for next month’s World Championships in London.

The 22-year-old, from Canvey Island, finished second in the 1500m at the selection trials in Birmingham this afternoon.

And the former Castle View School pupil was unable to contain her excitement at the finish line after bouncing back from a difficult couple of seasons.

“It’s been so hard for me and I’m just so excited,” said Judd.

“My dad has been fantastic and so has everyone at Loughborough.

“Everyone has been so supportive, especially my family and I can’t believe it.

“After missing out on London 2012 we aimed for the World Championships, with it being in the same stadium, but I never thought it would happen.

“I need to thank everyone for not letting me give up and I’m so happy to have qualified.”

Judd, who also ran for Great Britain at the 2013 World Championships and 2014 European Championships, endured two years of injury, inconsistent form and plenty of frustration before bouncing back to her best this season.

Judd was crowned England under-23 champion earlier this season and ran a personal best time of four minutes and 5.2 seconds in Watford to go third in the UK rankings.

She backed that up at the weekend by producing a fine, battling performance to finish just behind Laura Weightman in four minutes and 7.9 seconds.

Judd’s fine display was praised by both Steve Cram and Paula Radcliffe, who were commentating on the race for the BBC.

Within an hour of finishing the 1500m, Judd returned to race in the 5,000m and finished fifth in a time of 15 minutes and 49.05 seconds.

But Judd will now concentrate on the 1500m as she looks to hit top form at the World Championships, which will take place at the London Stadium next month.

Her first round heats will take place on Friday August 4, with the semi-final on Saturday and the final on the Monday.