Samantha Murray believes her hard work is starting to pay off after she was crowned modern pentathlon world champion in Warsaw earlier this month.
Murray, who won a silver medal at London 2012, beat Chinese pair Qian Chen and Wanxia Liang to take the gold medal.
Her win included a pentathlon world record in the 200m freestyle swim where she posted a time of 2:03.84.
And Murray insists she is starting to realise her potential as she gears up for Rio 2016 qualifiers next year.
“It’s just incredible, I really stepped up my game and now I’ve gone from an Olympic medal to world champion,” said the 24-year-old.
“It hasn’t all gone to plan within that time, but I’ve always kept believing in myself and knew it was a matter of time before it all came together if I kept working hard.
“I’ve worked so hard to get my shooting right, which has paid off and there is still room for improvement in my fencing.
“I showed I’m a strong athlete and still have a lot of potential.
“My fencing could have been better and I know I can improve on that, but it is about being consistent now, about putting it all together and continuing this form into next year and beyond.”
© Sportsbeat 2014