Neave wins bronze on final day of World Cup in Pau

Posted: Sunday 17th June 2012 | 22:11

LIZZIE Neave admits she has well and truly caught the podium bug after winning bronze at the second World Cup of the season in France.

Neave failed to reach the women's K1 final at the opening World Cup in Cardiff last weekend as Fiona Pennie, who she beat to an Olympic place, ended sixth.

However she made amends in Pau, taking the lead in the final with a fine run before being edged down into third by Spanish winner Maialen Chourrant and France's Carole Bouzidi.

And Neave insists she is desperate to secure further silverware with a busy summer ahead and the third World Cup in Spain less than a week away.

"I am really happy, especially after last weekend in Cardiff where I didn't have a great time. I'm really pleased to have built through the competition and put in a good run when it counted," she said.

"I felt much more in control this weekend, it's been a tough course and all the top boats are here, so it fills me with confidence for the rest of the season. It's great to get back on the podium as it has been a while."

Neave's British teammates in the women's K1 couldn't join her in the final with Louise Donington stumbling in the semis and Pennie struggling in the heats.

Meanwhile David Florence, who won double gold in Cardiff, fell in the semi-finals of the C2 with Richard Hounslow, a day after exiting at the same stage of the C1.

Hounslow had also failed to make the final of the men's K1 on Saturday, which saw Campbell Walsh finish tenth with Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott the only Brits in the C2 final.

Adam Burgess and Greg Pitt had also stuttered one round earlier but Baillie and Stott couldn't better last weekend's finish of fourth as they placed fifth.