AFTER spending three days itching to join the party Rebecca Redfern jumped at her chance as she claimed a glorious gold at the World Para Swimming Championships. 

The Worcester Swimming Club competitor’s schedule meant that her opening three days of competition were fallow while her Great Britain team-mates raked in the medals. 

But far from baulking under the pressure when she eventually got her chance the 19-year-old raced home in a championship record-winning time of one minute 14.73 seconds in the women's SB13 100-metre breaststroke.

“It feels amazing,” the Droitwich Spa teenager said after her stunning show at London Aquatics Centre. 

“To be up there with the likes of Maisie (Summers-Newton), who have won gold already, and it’s amazing to be classed as one of the gold champions, incredible! 

“We’ve been working a lot on stroke rates so I had that 1-2-3-4 in my head the whole way.

"I just kept that stroke rate and I think that helped me bring it back on the last 50m. 

“I knew that my mum was in the crowd and I just wanted to make everyone proud.

"Just to be a champion is amazing.”

And after watching on from the stands during the opening three days of the championships as her team-mates brought home title after title Redfern relished the chance to get out there in front of her adoring home fans. 

“I could just hear the crowd roaring — it was incredible,” she continued. 

“I’ve been watching since Monday and to finally get out I was trying to keep myself calm and not get overexcited too quickly.

"It’s a really good feeling to get the first one done. 

“It’s brilliant. You think you’re hearing certain voices — I knew my mum was there cheering and I knew my coach was there cheering.

"It means a lot to have everyone there.”

Visually-impaired swimmer Redfern finished ahead of American Colleen Young.

The former Droitwich Spa High School pupil, who now studies at the University of Worcester, won silver at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.

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