BUDAPEST 2010: Grace Reid, 14, finishes impressive fourth at Euros

By David Jordan, Sportsbeat, in Budapest

TOM Daley may be the nation's favourite diving prodigy but Great Britain may just have unearthed another one at the European Championships in Budapest.

BREAKTHROUGH: Grace Reid, 14, finishes an impressive fourth at the European Championships in Budapest (Reuters)

Grace Reid, a 14-year-old who makes the 300-mile round trip from Edinburgh to Leeds to train just a couple of times a month, finished fourth in the women's 3m springboard in her first senior major championship appearance.

She amassed 276.20 points in the Hungarian capital as gold went to Nadezda Bazhina of Russia, but Reid's performance lifted the gloom after Daley was forced to withdraw with an arm injury.

"I am still shaking after last night. It was really good but I am really exhausted. Finishing fourth has made all of the hard work and travel worth it," said Reid, who will now set about preparations for the World Junior Championships in Arizona.

"Sometimes when you are finding it tough and you are wishing that you could just be at home or seeing friends but this result has made it clear why it is worth it.

"Before the final I was excited and nervous. A mixture of lots of feelings I guess. But I put it aside and pulled it together and focused.

"I tried to treat it like any other competition and so I went through my normal competition preparation and it went well.

"I have two days off before travelling to the junior worlds in Tuscon. I am really excited about that event too.

"I am going to go along the same routine as here and hopefully it will work again but I really feel ready for the competition now with this result behind me."

 The nation's leading energy supplier British Gas is the Principal Partner of British Swimming, and have pledged £15m to support the sport at all levels - from paddling pool to podium. For more information visit www.britishgas.co.uk/swimming