JAZZ Carlin admits she has been surprising herself as she continues to fine-tune her preparations for this summer’s Rio Olympics.

After a stellar 2014 for the Swindon swimmer, which featured a Commonwealth and two European gold medals and finished with her switching training bases from Swansea to Bath, the success did not let up in 2015.

Carlin, who now lives in Bradford on Avon, had been worried the change might set her back, but the 800 metres freestyle bronze she secured at the World Championships in August - her first individual medal at that level - demonstrated that had not been the case.

Since then the Tigersharks swimmer has achieved new landmarks in the short course pool, winning European 800m and 400m freestyle gold in Israel before improving on her personal best time in the latter with victory during the Duel in the Pool in Indianapolis.

The 25-year-old, who now trains at the University of Bath, is delighted to see the specific work she has been doing on her physical strength and her turns pay off even more handsomely than she might have hoped.

“I wasn’t really too sure how things would go after changing programmes,” said Carlin, who is currently on a training camp in Australia.

“There is always a worry that you can go through a bit of a transition phase and not adapt as quickly.

“That was definitely on my mind, but I’m really happy that things seem to be working.

“Before I moved to Bath, I didn’t really do a lot of gym work, but it has been added to my programme - they wanted to get me quite a bit stronger, and it has worked.

“It had always been a weakness, whereas now, it is becoming one of my strengths, which is definitely a positive.

“My turns is something I have also tried to look at, and, given they hadn’t been the strongest, I was really surprised to get the two gold medals in Israel. They are definitely improving.

“There are just small things to work on that have gone well having addressed them with my coach (David McNulty) and worked on them in training.”

Carlin, who missed the London 2012 Olympics selection trials due to glandular fever, added: “Although I much prefer long course, it was great to come away with the best times recently, and the medals were a bonus.

“It is all geared towards the Olympic trials and then hopefully the Olympics.

“Because I haven’t been to an Olympics it is on my mind as the only one left.

“I’m really looking forward to this year and hopefully I can have some success then too.”