Siobhan-Marie O'Connor landed her first senior international medal with 100m Individual Medley bronze at the European Short Course Championships in Chartres, France.
Just five days away from her 17th birthday, the British Gas ITC Bath swimmer lowered her PB for the third time in three races, clocking 59.72 for her medal behind Hungarian duo Katinka Hosszu (58.83) and Zsuzsanna Jakabos (59.15).
And while she also finished fourth in the 200m Individual Medley earlier in the competition, O'Connor admitted she was surprised to have made such a breakthrough at the meet.
"I'm really happy because I didn't expect to come here and medal," said O'Connor, who won the British Gas GBR Swimming Team's fourth medal of the competition.
"I've been putting really hard work in training so to come away with a medal and my first senior medal, I'm over the moon.
"Obviously I was going in ranked third so I knew I had a chance but anything can happen in a race.
"I was a bit nervous because that was only my second senior final but I just pushed hard and managed to go a bit faster than the semis."
Just five days away from her 17th birthday, the British Gas ITC Bath swimmer lowered her PB for the third time in three races, clocking 59.72 for her medal behind Hungarian duo Katinka Hosszu (58.83) and Zsuzsanna Jakabos (59.15).
And while she also finished fourth in the 200m Individual Medley earlier in the competition, O'Connor admitted she was surprised to have made such a breakthrough at the meet.
"I'm really happy because I didn't expect to come here and medal," said O'Connor, who won the British Gas GBR Swimming Team's fourth medal of the competition.
"I've been putting really hard work in training so to come away with a medal and my first senior medal, I'm over the moon.
"Obviously I was going in ranked third so I knew I had a chance but anything can happen in a race.
"I was a bit nervous because that was only my second senior final but I just pushed hard and managed to go a bit faster than the semis."
