Neave delivers on promise to claim World bronze

BRITAIN'S Lizzie Neave put her European heartache behind her to scoop the biggest prize of her young career with a kayak bronze at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain.

BEAUTIFUL BRONZE: 22-year old Lizzie Neave backs up her team gold with an individual bronze at the World Champs

The 22-year old underlined her potential as a 2012 medal prospect when she claimed K1 team gold with Laura Blakeman and Louise Donington on Saturday.

But the K1 individual honours will surely mean more to Neave after a 50 second penalty for a missed gate cost the youngster a medal at the European Championships in Nottingham in May.

Having qualified fifth-fastest for the final, the Brit conceded one penalty to finish in a time of 109.04 seconds, beating the likes of Slovakia's double Olympic champion Elena Kaliska and Austria's Olympic bronze medallist Violetta Oblinger Peters.

Germany's Jasmin Schornberg claimed gold in Spain with home-favourite Maialen Chourraut taking silver but Neave was adamant bronze was more

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Neave. "I've had a really good season and this is the perfect way to finish it."

Although Neave's teammates failed to add any more medals to their tally on Sunday, Britain finished third in the medal table behind Slovakia and France and their total of four medals - one gold, one silver, two bronze - was the best performance for more than 20 years.

Timothy Baillie and Etienne Stott came agonisingly close to repeating their European bronze in the C2 final but a late penalty for a touched gate cost them two seconds and their bronze medal.

After scraping through to the K1 final as tenth fastest, 2004 Olympic silver medallist Campbell Walsh nearly upset the odds to claim silver but a two second penalty cost him as well and pushed the Scot out to fourth.

Huw Swetnam recorded a personal best of 96.83 secs to finish just behind him in fifth but Olympic silver medallist and 2009 World Cup champion David Florence looked below his best as he slumped to fifth in the C1 final and tenth with Richard Hounslow in the C2.

Louise Donington and Mallory Franklin failed to make it past the semi final stage in the K1 and C1 respectively while Fiona Pennie received a 102 second penalty in the C1 final and unsurprisingly came tenth.