By David Martin, PA Sport

Falling over the 10th and final obstacle in last year's Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles final is a horrible mistake Natasha Danvers will never forget.

The error robbed the 2001 World Student Games champion of a certain bronze and possibly silver medal and while it was a lesson which hurt it could help win her a World Championships medal.

Danvers said: "I can't sustain that memory. It was a memory, it's over.

"I was quite devastated at the time, particularly knowing I was so close but so far away from that medal.

"I stepped on the track determined I would get a medal and not getting one hurt me very hard."

Currently ranked third in the world this year, Danvers insists she is more determined than ever to produce the goods in what will be her second World Championships.

The California-based star, coached by her husband-to-be Darrell Smith, believes she has never responded to a fall so positively.

Instead of treating the experience of landing flat on her face as a nightmare, the disastrous conclusion to the race has acted as an inspiration.

This season a new, more fluid and mature high hurdler has emerged. Her victory in the Zagreb Grand Prix meeting shows there have been no lasting effects of what was a traumatic night in Manchester.

As far as she is concerned the hard-luck story is in the past as she plots the downfall of world number one Jana Pittman of Australia and European champion Ionela Tirlea of Romania in the Stade de France.

"You have that moment and you decide either to make it from there or allow yourself to go backwards," Danvers added.

"You can either go down from there, let it consume you, get distraught and lose yourself, or you can take that memory and say, 'I'm not going to let that happen again', and make it into a positive.

"I could still be pulling my hair out about the Commonwealth Games, saying 'Oh my God I'm so scared of hurdle 10', or I can just say 'You know what, next time I see that hurdle 10 it's over, I'm not going to let it beat me'."

Her positivity has seen her reach the potential she displayed in winning a European junior silver medal in 1995 before her WSG success two years ago.

"Things have basically all just come together at the right time. I've had the right coach behind me," Danvers enthused.

"I've been able to train hard. I'm different mentally, more dedicated. The results are showing now.

"I've worked very hard on how to attack those last two hurdles. The season has progressed much better than I imagined.

"I feel I should have got medals before but I haven't done it," said the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier.

"The way I'm running right now, the times I'm putting down, I think I should be aiming for not just making teams or finals.

"What I should be aiming for right now - I'm at the point where I can go in and expect a medal."