Cornwall's national women's 800 metres champion Jemma Simpson is confident that she can run even faster on the eve of today's European Athletic Championships heats in Barcelona.

Simpson will be competing in the 800 heats today, ahead of tomorrow evening's semi- finals.

Simpson has been honing her training programme, with the focus on this week's major event in Spain.

The Newquay & Par athlete, has been altitude training at Font Romeu in France with other British runners since the start of the month.

Simpson's training regime was rewarded with a personal best time in finishing runner- up to American Alisyia Johnson in last Thursday night's star-studded Herculis Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

It must have felt like déjà vu for 26-year-old track star Simpson, who set a new personal best 1:58.74 at the Herculis meeting a year ago in Monte Carlo.

Now the proud Cornish athlete – who successfully retained her UK 800m crown in Birmingham earlier this summer – is convinced that she can build on that final warm-up race by running faster.

On the eve of tomorrow's heats and speaking from Spain, Simpson said: "Monaco went very well indeed. I ran a personal best and dipped under 1.59.00 for the first time, a barrier I have wanted to crack.

"In doing so, I felt the strongest I have ever felt and came striding past people in the home straight to take second place.

"I now have the confidence to believe that I can run faster in the years to come."

As well as running well at the European Championships, Simpson has set herself another personal 2010 goal.

The Cornish runner – who spends her winters training in Eugene, Oregon – said: "If all goes well, I could crack the 1.58.00 barrier as well this year.

"If not, I now believe I have the capabilities to run times that were beyond my wildest dreams.

"It just shows what consistency and doing the right things in training can do for you. Bring on Barcelona!"

Simpson is coached by former Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist Mark Rowland.

There was disappointment for Exeter Harriers runner Jo Pavey, who has been forced to pull out of the Championships through injury.

Pavey has a toe injury which had improved during the team's pre-championship training camp in Portugal.

However, it has not improved sufficiently to give her enough quality training in order to compete in the 10,000 metres in Spain.

Pavey's absence is the latest series of injury problems for the British team, with Greg Rutherford, Goldie Sayers and Kelly Sotherton also absent from the Championships.