Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (pictured above) became the first University of Bath-based swimmer to win a medal at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia when she took 200m individual medley bronze on Monday.
The 19-year-old, coached by Dave McNulty and Graeme Antwhistle at the British Swimming National Centre Bath, held off fast-finishing American Maya Di Rado to finish third in 2:08.77, just outside her personal best.
Hungarian Katinka Hosszu won gold in a sensational world-record time of 2:06.12, while Japan’s Kanako Watanabe overtook O’Connor in the dying stages to take silver in 2:08.45.
“I am really happy to get a medal, that is what I wanted to do,” said O’Connor, who trains in the London 2012 Legacy Pool at the Sports Training Village.
O’Connor has a second shot at a medal in the 200m freestyle – the heats take place on Tuesday morning.
Chris Walker-Hebborn is through to Tuesday evening’s 100m backstroke final after qualifying eighth fastest from Monday’s semi-finals in 53.39.
Lizzie Simmonds missed out on the women’s final but was 13th fastest overall in 1:00.40 and will go into the 200m backstroke with confidence.
Sports Performance graduate Calum Jarvis was 14th overall in the 200m freestyle, having clocked 1:47.64 in his semi-final.
Report courtesy of the Team Bath press office at Matchtight Ltd
