Team GB swimmer Darcy Deakin has said that she is "proud" of her performance in the final of the women's 100m freestyle at the European Games this afternoon.
Deakin was something of a surprise member of the final eight for the event having qualified with a time of 56.59, and she went on to claim fifth place at the Baku Aquatics Centre.
It made for another successful performance from the 16-year-old, who was also part of the women's 4x100m freestyle relay team that won a bronze medal for Great Britain yesterday.
After the event, Deakin spoke to Sports Mole about her achievement, as well as her hopes for the rest of the week in Baku.
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Fifth place, Darcy. How are you feeling after that?
"It's brilliant. I came here expecting to barely scrape a semi-final, so to make my first international final and come fifth, that's something to be quite proud of in my first event as well."
What were you hoping for coming into the race then, having already got further than expected?
"I just wanted to dive in and take it how it came, so I tried to stay with the race and go for the highest ranking time that I could."
So it was a bit of a bonus just being part of that race?
"Yeah, it's a bonus even making it. With my performance at the British [Championships], I thought it was going to be a chance of just going for relays again and to have been selected, and to have beaten the rest of the British girls and then at least 40-odd other athletes, it's pretty good."
You actually swam faster in the heats and the semi-final. Were you happy with your time in that final?
"It could have been better but I guess possibly the nerves and the adrenaline just got to me. I've held under sub-57, which has been my target all season and to do it three times on the trot is pretty good."
What does this success do for your hopes in the 50m and 200m freestyle later this week?
"For the 50m and 200m, it means a bit more but they're totally different events so I've got to just focus on them in different ways."
Have you had any time to enjoy that bronze medal you won last night yet?
"I did last night! We got to the apartment, we all just looked at each other and literally screamed at each other. I'll probably enjoy it more when I get back home or on the final day and just share it with everyone. And be like 'yeah, I've done something'.
"I've got a lot of 'well done' messages from home. My squad was on the way up to Scotland today and apparently they were all stopping off to come and watch me. So yeah, it means something."
Have you been wearing it around a lot?
"No, I put it straight back in the box because I think I'd lose it! At the minute it's in my drawer."
Barney Corkhill
