COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Chuffed Haywood insists more is to come

From James Toney, Sportsbeat, in Delhi

KATE Haywood clearly likes the Commonwealth Games. After a bronze on her debut as a 15-year old and a silver four years ago, she remains on course to complete the medal set.

LOOKING UP: Kate Haywood recent medal success at the European Championships means she arrives in Delhi brimming with confidence - and is the second quickest qualifier into Tuesday's 50m breaststroke final (Reuters)

Britain's premier breaststroker has too often cut a miserable picture at recent championships as she struggled with both form and injury.

But a bronze at the European Championships in Budapest has restored her self-belief - and given her season the prospect of a potentially golden Indian summer.

Haywood progressed to the 50m breaststroke final in the second quickest qualifying time behind only Australia's Leiston Pickett and ahead of Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Leisel Jones.

And the 23-year old insists she could have gone faster than her 31.22 second time.

"It was a really good race but my finish was awful," said Haywood. 

"Hopefully I will be able to get my stroke rate right for the final and finish one place better. 

"I think it will be really close."

Haywood admits she has stunned herself by her recent form and it seems crazy to think that not long ago, some were bemoaning the state of British breaststroking, especially with Haywood's English team-mate Rebecca Ajulu-Bushell progressing as fourth fastest to today's final.

"This year has been crazy, it was always my target just to compete here," added Haywood. 

"My aim was just to try to match the PBs I had made at the Europeans. If medals happen, medals happen. 

"If you had asked me at the beginning of the year if I would be here I would have said no, so I am dead chuffed.

"At the end of last year after I had my surgery and I was doing my rehab and everything was quite hard. I really began to wonder whether it was worth it.

"But with London 2012 round the corner, I knew I just had to be there, so I pushed through. Now I actually feel stronger than I was before all my problems."