Silver medals for swimmers Emily Large and Rebecca Sutton got Team GB’s Tbilisi 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival campaign off to a great start on the first day of action in Georgia.
Sutton, the busiest Team GB swimmer this week, took second in the girls’ 400m individual medley but it was Large who had the honour of being the first Brit to make the podium with her silver in the girls’ 200m butterfly.
“It feels really good and I’m so happy. I didn’t really expect that to be honest,” said the 14-year-old from Newcastle.
“I was going into the final third fastest but second, third and fourth were all within one second of each other so I wasn’t confident of a medal. But then to get it was amazing. I’m really happy.
“After the first 100m I knew I had it in me so it was just a case of making sure I didn’t come fourth. I was just hoping for any medal but on the last turn I could fourth place falling behind so I just went for it.
“This was my best event so I was hoping to do well but a medal has just topped it. Being the first athlete to get a medal is amazing and I’m overjoyed.”