SWINDON swimmer Jazz Carlin has said that claiming her first World Championship medal has given her the hunger to do even better next season.

With the Olympic Games just on the horizon Carlin has already proven that she is capable of competing on the world stage following a ‘special’ performance in Kazan, Russia, last weekend.

It looked like it was going to be another year of so close yet so far for the Tigersharks swimmer when she was touched out of the medal places in the 400m freestyle on the opening day of the competition.

However, the 24-year-old picked herself up from that disappointment to go again a week later and secure herself a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle.

“It was pretty special,” Carlin, who was part of the most successful British team as they claimed nine medals in total, told the Advertiser.

“I was happy to have been on the podium and winning a medal.

“Obviously I would have loved to have gone a bit better but I will take that.

“Going into next year it has put me in the best position.

“In two of my events, to be top four in the world has given me confidence going into next year.”

Two years ago Carlin missed out on a medal in the 400m in Barcelona by just 0.14 seconds.

And for the second championships in a row it looked like the smallest of margins were going to n From back page deny her as she missed out on bronze by just 0.4 seconds with a time of 4:03.74 in her first event.

“When you get on a world level you are racing the best girls in the world and it will be as little as 0.1seconds between success and failure,” added Carlin.

“I took some time out and had a look back and I felt like I made a few mistakes in the 400m.

“I didn’t have the confidence to go out as quick as I should have.

“When it is the first event on the first day, the nerves have settled in and you are anxious with how the first race is going to go.

“Looking back it wasn’t a bad time, it was disappointing not to be on the podium, but I have learnt a lot from that and hopefully I can bring that into next year.”

Carlin dusted herself off from that disappointment to help Britain’s women to fifth place in the 4x200m freestyle relay final, the night before she turned her focus to the 800m.

The European champion at that distance, secured her place in last Saturday’s final with a fifth fastest time of 8:23.83, but she knew she had more in reserve.

“I think I was nervous,” explained the Swindon-born swimmer.

“When you race you always have the voices in your head that are telling you that ‘you can’t do it’, ‘you’re not good enough’ and then you have that one voice that says ‘no I can do it, I have done all the work, I’ve done all the hard training.’ “It is all about having the confidence and listening to that one voice in your head and enjoying it.”

Carlin, was able to put the disappointment of Barcelona behind her, to claim bronze in the final with a time of 8:18.15, but the podium finish has only made her want more.

“It was great to come away with a medal and my family were there as well to watch, so that made it pretty special,” she said ahead of a couple of weeks rest.

“But the competitive side in me is never satisfied with it.

“Going into next year it has given me the confidence, after having to change programmes and a lot of disruption last year.

“I will just enjoy a few weeks off now, switching off and getting back into it soon.”