WARRINGTON swimmer Kathleen Dawson says she is targeting a place at the Commonwealth Games after enjoying a superb 2016.

The 18-year-old picked up two medals at the European Championships during the summer before impressing at her first world event earlier this month.

Despite not picking up a medal at the World Short Course Championships in Canada, Dawson set new Scottish records in the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke events.

The former Great Sankey High School pupil, who is now studying at Stirling University, wants more global success in 2017.

She says competing at the World Long Course championships, to be held in Budapest in July, is a specific target to help her chances of representing Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“It was great to sort of announce myself on the world stage in Canada so hopefully I can kick on a bit more,” she said.

“The long-course World Championships are in 2017 and they also double up as a trial for the Commonwealth Games.

“If I can get there and do well it would be amazing so that’s what I’ll be striving to do next year.”

Dawson will now enjoy a short period of time off over the Christmas period after returning from Canada having lowered her own Scottish marks in all three of her disciplines.

She broke her own record three times in both the 50m and 100m disciplines and set two new marks in the 200m.

Dawson, who has been part of the Warriors of Warrington swim team since she was nine years old, competed alongside the likes of Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu and expressed her delight with her performances during 2016.

“I’m over the moon with what happened in Canada to be honest,” she said.

“I didn’t really expect to medal or place very highly. It was my first world event so it was more of an experience for me.

“To get two fifths and a seventh, as well as the two medals in the Europeans, makes it a really good year for me.

“To swim alongside someone like Katinka Hosszu was amazing. She is just incredible.

“I’ll be training until the 23rd before spending a bit of time at home and getting back into it on the 28th to get ready for next year.”