Kelly Holmes has revealed she is still battling the memories of the fall which put paid to her bid to become World Indoor Champion at 1500m.

Holmes, who swept to victory in the same event at Sunday's Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Gateshead, fell just after the halfway mark of the race in Budapest in March.

Although she picked herself up and tried to make up the 20 metre gap, it proved too much and she finished last with Ethiopia's Kutre Dulecha taking the gold.

Holmes aim is to run the 1500m in Athens but she will be taking part in the 800m in the British Olympic trials which take place in Manchester on July 10 and 11.

She clocked 4:06.83 in the longer distance at the International Stadium at the weekend, running a measured race that saw her sit at the back of the field until just after halfway before moving up steadily and then powering home.

"I had to feel myself again," she said afterwards. "I have run a couple of races this season and I have still in the back of my head, subconsciously, got my fall from the indoors there.

"Every time I come out it's kind of 'Oh God'. I am thinking too much about what might happen, where I should be or what I should do. So this race I just wanted to totally be myself, think of myself and not look at anyone else in the race; know where I wanted to be, run comfortably and relaxed and just do what I normally do.

"I needed this race. It's better that it was this standard where it wasn't a sprint from the front. It was my kind of race, a tactical race and I think I needed that to get over these things I have in my head. For me it was a nice race to be in. It wasn't anything special in terms of the time, but how I ran I felt was good."

Though victory came easy on Sunday, Holmes said these were important steps on the road to Athens which is just six weeks away.

"For me, I just need to also get into a few 1500m races to actually learn the race again," she said. "It sounds bizarre as I've been going for a long time. But out of season I have rarely done the 1500m, I tend to have to drop to the 800m for preparation purposes. I am kind of learning the event again. I need loads of different races and different scenarios.

"I am nowhere near where I want to be at this time of year but it's going in the right direction."

Holmes said she enjoyed her time in Gateshead and paid tribute to the crowd which cheered her every stride.

"I have been away from home a long time and it's great to come back and see that people are still supporting you. It gives you that lift. You know people are behind you whatever you do and that's really nice," she said.