By Mike McRoberts, in London
Lauren Boyle may not have won a medal in London but her fourth place finish in the women’s 800m freestyle has certainly put her on the map.
“If you told me a year ago that I was going to be two seconds behind Rebecca Adlington at the Olympics and beat Lotte Friis from Denmark, I would have told you you were kidding,” she says.
Boyle finished with a time of 8min 22.72sec, smashing her own New Zealand record by more than three seconds.
She says the fourth-place finish has reinvigorated her swimming career.
“I’m really excited to keep swimming and I wasn’t sure if that would happen [after the Olympics],” she says.
“I’m excited for the future now. I think that I can keep improving and I’m excited to do that.”
Boyle says the race taught her to “believe” in her self more.
“I wasn’t sure if I could pull that off, and maybe next time if I back myself a little more I can do the same if not better.
“I don’t want to milk coming fourth too much… because I know it’s not that amazing, but for me it kind of is because it just shows what I’ve been able to teach myself.”