MALVERN paddler Emily Lewis competed for Great Britain at the Under 23 and Junior Canoe Sprint World Championships.

The competition in Szeged, Hungary, was well supported by more than 1,000 competitors from 72 countries.

Competing in the 200-metre sprint, Lewis eased through the preliminary heats.

The 21-year-old was third behind the Russian and Chinese paddlers in a new personal best time of 42.529 seconds.

In the semi-final, despite achieving another personal best of 42.075, Lewis finished fourth behind rivals from Iran, Australia and Poland.

She qualified her for the ‘B’ final and came fifth, placing her 14th overall.

Lewis also raced in the fours event over 500m and was 10th overall with her crew.

She said: “It was tough focusing on both races as they were different distances and different events.

“I am pleased with how I’ve done compared to where I was last year and am really eager to push myself to the limits and see what I can produce in the future.”

This season has seen Lewis go from strength-to-strength having only returned to training 10 months ago after a two-year absence from the sport.

Sponsored by McDonald’s and carpet shop Hurrell Of Malvern, Lewis is looking for additional support with travel and competition costs.

She will aim to improve upon her performance at the European and World Championships next season.