Shaw won Commonwealth gold in 2002 with a throw of 66.83 metres

Former Commonwealth hammer champion Lorraine Shaw insists the help of the home crowd can inspire Team GB at the London Olympics in 2012.

Shaw, 42, won Commonwealth gold in Manchester in 2002 and now coaches current British number one Zoe Derham.

"It's just fantastic having 38,000 people cheering you on," Shaw told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"Leading in to the competition I wasn't even a medal contender but the British crowd just gave me that extra lift."

Shaw carried on competing until she was 38 and knows the sort of commitment that is needed.

She added: "For me it would be fantastic if she [Derham] could make the final of 2012 - that's my dream for her to try and keep her interested and plugging along.

"She's been doing the sport quite a while now - since she was 16 and she's 30 now.

"So it's very difficult, even though the Olympics are close, to stay motivated because you know for the next two years it's full-on hard training."

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