She becomes only the second local woman to be selected for an Olympics, following in the footsteps of hockey player Kirsty Bowden who went to the Sydney Games in 2000.

The 31 year-old city born athlete will be the first local since Geoff Capes competed at his third Olympics in Moscow in 1980 to line up in track and field on the world's biggest stage.

Hollman achieved the 6,000 points qualifying standard in Holland last year but selectors were looking for current form and despite winning the English title with 5941 points this year she was not overly-confident of being selected when the team was announced yesterday.

But she got the call she wanted around 4pm yesterday and it will prove a fitting way to end her heptathlon career as she will concentrate on long jumping next year.

She said: "I can not put into words how I feel, I am just so ecstatic. I can't believe it, it is so exciting to be finally going to my first Olympic Games."

Beijing will complete the full set for Hollman, who has competed in the other three major championships - Worlds, Europeans and Commonwealths - and she must have wondered whether she'd ever make it.

She added: "I was so close to making it to Athens in 2004 and was in such good shape only to get injured, and that disappointment took so long to get over. It took about a year before I got over it so when Aston Moore (performance director at UK Athletics) called me yesterday I was elated.

"I'm realistic to know to I won't be there competing for medals but I'll give it everything I've got and will be trying to get a personal best."

Hollman certainly had an extra spring in her step when she returned to training last night. She explained: "I'd decided to have the jabs in case I got selected and I had to go for them yesterday. So I went training, went off for my jabs, and then went back for another training session.

"Being selected gave me extra incentive to train although some people say I should wrap myself up in cotton wool between now and the Games.

"I rang my sister (Anne, the former British Under 23 international heptathlete) when I heard the news and left a downbeat 'Will you call me' message but she saw right through it and called back saying: 'You're in, aren't you?'. But I couldn't get hold of my mum (Carol, former team manager at Peterborough Athletic Club) so she had to find out when the team was made public at 6pm. I don't know if my family will be able to come and watch me as my father, John, has lung cancer and may not be up to it."

Hollman is one of three former Peterborough Athletic Club members named in yesterday's team. Kelly Sotherton will line up alongside her in heptathlon while Goldie Sayers goes in the javelin.

Feature: Peterborough Olympians
Chief Sports Writer Alan Swann has been tracing sportsmen and sportswomen who attended the Olympics while living in the Peterborough area.