With five years of chemical engineering studies behind her, Zoey Clark is getting ready to focus on her own physiology for the next 12 months – and the Aberdonian is off to a flying start.

With a string of international appearances in 4x400m relay teams in her locker, the 22-year-old had decided a year ago that once she graduated with her Masters degree, as she did last month, she would devote herself to athletics full-time for a year, but she has found herself well ahead of her highest expectations as it gets underway.

“It was a bit of a risk because I made the decision last year when I was struggling a bit with a hamstring injury. I didn’t necessarily know it was going to pay off, but this year has gone well. Initially we were thinking, aim for Commonwealth Games and maybe a relay spot in London [at next month’s World Championships]. That’s changed now,” she observed.

It was almost as if the knowledge that she had completed her academic work removed some of the pressure from her as she set a new personal best at a meet in Geneva last month, going under 52 seconds for the first time to earn herself some extra attention heading into the British Athletics Championships which were doubling as the World Championships trials, since it was the fastest time this season by a British 400 metre runner.

That explanation seems as plausible as any because Clark herself is at a loss to explain the improvement in her form.

“It has been a breakthrough year but I have no idea on what’s changed,” she said.

“I think it’s maybe just maturing as an athlete, knowing how to race better and be aware of my abilities. Being in my fifth year of uni has been hectic and it’s not like I’ve had extra training time. But something has worked.”

As unscientific as all of that sounds, the conclusion to her analysis is spot on because both physically and psychologically everything seems to have clicked perfectly into place.

That was evident at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium last week as she found herself in the same heat as one Christine Ohuruogo.

With the former Olympic and world champion running a couple of lanes outside her, so visible all the way to the home straight that it could have been intimidating, but Clark lived up to her billing as the form horse as she powered to victory, then did so again in the following day’s final where former European indoor champion Perri Shakes-Drayton took her turn to be left trailing.

“Coming into this trial I knew I needed top two. To get the win is a bonus,” said Clark.

“It’s was a great weekend. This year has been a real improvement for me, I’ve made a lot of progress and to get the scalps I did in both the heat and the final was amazing. I will be much more confident now knowing I can be competitive at that level.

“I came in with the best time but you never know. It’s been really close this year at the top of the rankings, literally hundredths of seconds in it but having my name at the top put on a bit of extra pressure. It’s been really good for me to have handled that. I’ve not even been in the British final before, in three previous attempts, so to get through then keep my cool and get the win has given me a lot of confidence.”

With success comes rewards, including an invitation to another meeting in Switzerland later this month which she will use for tuning up purposes, but Clark will not be among the home contingent taking part in this weekend’s Muller Anniversary Games in London – her next competitive action instead being an outing for her club Thames Valley Harriers, running a 200 metres and the 4x400m relay the following weekend.

That in itself is evidence of a grounded approach to ensuring that she has her priorities right and sticks to her own plans, rather than allowing herself to get carried away by what she has achieved, but equally, there is no doubting her excitement at the prospect of what is coming up later in the year.

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily sunk in that I’ll be there in London for the worlds but I’m sure it will soon,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to having that individual spot. In all the big championships I’ve been to it’s always been in relay spots so this is my first senior solo chance and I’m really happy and excited about it.”

All the more so because of the limitations on the way she has been able to train to this point.

With those now removed, Clark would appear to have a great deal to be excited about in the next year and thereafter.