YOG 2010: Kelly bags butterfly bronze in Singapore

From Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat, in Singapore

 RACHAEL Kelly finally fought her way onto the podium at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore - but she insists her bronze medal was worth the wait.

AT LONG LAST: Rachael Kelly has been improving all week at the Youth Olympic Games and now she has a bronze medal to show for it in Singapore (SIngapore Press Holdings)

The 16-year-old saw despair turn to ecstasy in the blink of a eye in the Lion City as she was bumped up from fourth to third after Italy's Elena di Liddo was disqualified in the 100m butterfly final.

Kelly, who touched home in 1:00.26 minutes, has been overdue an upturn in fortunes, having struggled in both the 50m and 200m butterfly - finishing seventh in the former and failing to make the final in the latter.

But just when she believed she had agonisingly missed out on a medal in her favoured event, she found herself collecting Great Britain's fourth medal in Singapore.

"I had been saying all week that I was waiting for the 100m final so it feels amazing to get a medal," said Kelly, who won 100m gold and 200m silver at the European Junior Championships last month.

"I haven't swum spectacularly well throughout the week but I have been improving and so to have got a medal feels amazing.

"I have obviously got some European junior medals but this will definitely be right up there with one of the best medals I have ever got.

"It has not really hit me yet though because I looked up and saw the screen and it said that I was fourth first of all and I was a bit gutted.

"But then it changed with the disqualification and I got the bronze and I couldn't believe it."

And Kelly, who has been flat out in Singapore thus far, revealed the secret to her success at the first ever Youth Olympic Games - and is adamant she will celebrate in style.   

"I think the secret is that I had a bit of a lie-in this morning maybe but otherwise I didn't do anything else differently," she added.

"I was ranked seventh going into the final so I am really surprised. But I have worked up throughout the week to this and it feels great to have got a medal.

"My coach said on the way to the pool that if I won a medal that he would take me out for a McDonalds so I am definitely going to take him up on that.

"I'm don't know what I'm going to have - just everything probably, definitely a McFlurry."

  Lloyds TSB, proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and supporter of Team GB on their journey to the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games. Visit LloydsTSB.com/London2012