Miley takes European gold in Budapest

Miley consigned European record holder Katinka Hosszu to defeat in her own back yard in Hungary and clinch the first major long course gold medal of her career.

The 21-year-old produced a remarkable breaststroke leg to the race - her favoured event - and on the fourth and final leg, the freestyle, Hosszu could find no way back.

That handed Miley gold and a first visit to the top of the podium at a major long course competition, having agonisingly finished fourth at the World Championships in Rome last year.

"I didn't know I had won until I turned around and it took about four or five second after the end of the race to realise it," said Miley.

"I thought 'oh my God I've actually just won my first senior long course meet' and I just couldn't believe it."

Miley was trailing home hope Hosszu at the halfway stage but crucially remained in contention at the 200m mark and romped into the lead with a formidable breaststroke performance.

She opened up nearly a two second gap with just the freestyle to go and having walked away from Rome empty-handed, she was in no mood to relinquish her grip on gold on the banks of the Danube.

Four years ago the European Championships, also held in Budapest, saw Miley depart with nothing to declare and the rosy-cheeked Scot was quick to admit things had not gone to plan.

Since then however, Miley has established herself as a force in Europe and at last year's British Championships she broke the European records in both the 200m and 400m medley.

Since then Hosszu has superseded Miley in both events but while she just missed out on retaining the European record, Miley clocked a new championship best of four minutes 33.09 seconds - and with it the gold medal as Hosszu came home 3.34 seconds off the pace while bronze went to another Hungarian Zsuzsanna Jakabos.

Source: eurosport.co.uk