GB youngster aiming to kick on again in 2012

By Charlie Talbot-Smith, Sportsbeat

GB swimmer Amelia Maughan came of age this year and the 15-year-old has already set her sights on improving her performances still further in 2012.

BIG AMBITIONS: Amelia Maughan (left) is planning another impressive 12 months in 2012 after a year to remember this term

Freestyle specialist Maughan claimed 4x100m relay silver at the European Junior Championships in July before following that up with a bronze in the same event at the World Youth Championships in Peru in August.

Those results were Maughan's best on the international stage and came against swimmers that, in some cases, were almost two years her senior.

And the GB youngster admits that she has time on her side as she looks to improve on her showings next year when the European Juniors move to Antwerp in Belgium.

"This year has been a great experience for me, I went to the European Youth Olympics when I was only 13-years-old and I didn't really think about anything, I was just there to swim," she said.

"But this time around I was really nervous at the big international events and that is all part of the learning curve as I try and improve as a swimmer.

"To get on the podium in Belgrade at the Europeans was a great feeling and now I'm hungry to get back there as soon as possible.

"I made some semi-finals in my individual events so next time I want to be in finals and hopefully challenging for medals as well as in the relays."

For now Maughan's focus is on her schoolwork but the Bath Intensive Training Centre swimmer has also started upping her hours in the pool each week in a bid to find her best form next year.

Maughan's season will kick off in March at the National Swimming Championships, an event the 15-year-old has already had a taste for.

"I competed in Manchester at the British championships this year and that was amazing to swim against some big names," she added.

"I also get to train occasionally with the girls who are, in all likelihood, going to be at the Olympics next year so it's a great chance for me to learn from them and see what it takes.

"London 2012 is going to be too soon for me probably but I have always been prepared for 2016, I will be 20-years-old by the time that comes around so hopefully I will get the chance to go.

"But that's the long term goal, in the short term I really want to start improving my personal best times consistently, particularly in the 200m which is my strongest event so I'm already looking forward to March even though it's still quite a long way away." 

Kellogg's has been supporting British Swimming for more than 15 years on a ‘grassroots to gold medals' programme of swimming. Visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/swimming for more information.