Team GB swimmer Laura Stephens has revealed that she used her exit from the 200m butterfly event earlier this week as motivation going into the 100m butterfly final today.
Stephens claimed a joint bronze medal at the Baku Aquatics Centre, recording a time of 1:00.54 - exactly the same as Ilektra Varvara Lebl of Israel.
The 16-year-old was joined on the podium by teammate Amelia Clynes, who picked up silver, while Russia's Polina Egorova stormed to gold.
After receiving her medal, Stephens spoke to Sports Mole about her 'unexpected' triumph, and how she was spurred on by missing out as the third-fastest Brit in the 200m event.
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Congratulations Laura, can you sum up how you're feeling after that?
"Just overwhelmed. I'm really happy with that swim - it was a PB, so I couldn't have asked for much more. The bronze sort of topped that off!"
Did you expect to medal going into the race, having qualified as sixth fastest?
"No, I wasn't. I was going in sixth so I thought maybe. I was thinking a PB would be good, then maybe climbing up a couple of places to maybe fifth or fourth. Then when I saw third I was so happy."
You shared the podium with another bronze medallist having recorded exactly the same time - that must have been a bit strange...
"Yeah, it's a bit rare that that happens. It couldn't have been any closer. A hundredth slower and I would have been off the podium! But I'm really pleased."
What was going through your mind towards the end of the race? Were you aware that it was so close?
"No, I had no idea. I could see the swimmer next to me, I couldn't see anyone to my right side. I could just about see the end of the lane so I just thought 'come on, get closer to the wall and finish this!'"
You mentioned that was a PB - are you confident of breaking the one-minute barrier in the near future?
"I hope so. That would be pretty good. I guess that's the next step. I'll look to go in with my coach in training when I get back to Britain. We'll reset my goals and carry on working towards them."
You were a little unfortunate to miss out in the 200m butterfly earlier this week - was this a chance to prove yourself after that?
"Yeah. I was gutted after that 200m fly. That was my main event, that's more of what I do rather than the 100m, so that's where we'd all been focusing our plans on. When that sort of went out of the window it was like 'right, never mind, move on to the 100m and see what I can do there'."
Did you use that as motivation then?
"Yeah, definitely. I was really motivated to do my best in this 100m."
You've got the 50m butterfly to come tomorrow as well - how are you feeling ahead of that?
"I think I'd be over the moon with another PB, then see what place I come. I'm not in the rankings to make the semi but that would be pretty cool if I could do that."
Is the 50m the least favoured of your events here?
"Yeah, definitely. I'm not so much of a sprinter, I'm definitely more of the 200m and 100m swimmer."
Can you take confidence from this performance going into tomorrow?
"Yeah, I can take some of the things from this 100m that went well and definitely bring them forward into the 50m. Hopefully I can execute the race in a similar way and do as well."
Barney Corkhill
