She set a Canadian record to reach the 2012 London Games and on Thursday Vancouver’s Liz Gleadle became the first Canadian woman to compete in the javelin finals at any Summer Olympics.

Gleadle, a graduate of Kitsilano secondary and a former T-Bird with the University of B.C. track team, finished 12th overall with a best final round throw of 58.78 metres. But the results were less than she expected.

“It didn’t go how I wanted,” she told reporters at London’s Olympic Stadium. “I wasn’t exactly as powerful as I was hoping to feel today.”

Gleadle’s two best throws came the previous day in the qualification round. She threw 59.73m on her second attempt and then 60.26m on her third attempt. She fouled on the first throw.

The longer distance placed her sixth in her qualification group and 11th overall out of a field of 42, which meant she advanced with the top 12 to the medal round.

All her attempts fell shorter than her personal best, which she set in June at the Harry Jerome Track Classic at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. She threw 61.15m that afternoon in front of family and friends and broke the Canadian record she had just set in May.

The 23-year-old trains in Lethbridge, Alta. with coach Larry Steinke.

The Czech gold medal winner out threw the competition by more than four metres, launching the 2.2-metre, 600-gram javelin 69.55m. The women’s world record is 72.28 metres.

mstewart@vancourier.com

Twitter: @MHStewart