FORMER King’s School Worcester pupil Hayley Simmonds took bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Redditch-born Simmonds shone in the women’s individual time trial track cycling.

Her medal-winning third place left her in tears at the finish.

Simmonds, 29, said: “It’s incredible. It’s something that I have dreamed of — to be here representing England at the Commonwealth Games.

"I knew that if I had a good ride a medal was a possibility but I didn’t dare think about it too much.

"So to be stood here with a medal around my neck is just a dream come true.

“Being the third last off I knew that if I finished with the fastest time that I was guaranteed a medal.

"I was just riding my own race to a certain extent but then had Julian in my radio updating me on progress so knew that I was going well so I just had to keep pushing.

“I have never approached an event in the same way that I have done for this. With it being early in the season I don’t have that many under my belt so far in the campaign.

"I knew I was going to have a hard training push up until around March 23 and then start my taper and it’s not something I have ever really done before.”

Australia's Katrin Garfoot took gold ahead of New Zealand's Linda Villumsen.

Simmonds was a keen rower at King's, representing England in the 2004 Home International Regatta, before switching to cycling while studying at Cambridge University.