KIDDERMINSTER'S Claire Cashmore was just four tenths of a second off a medal at the Visa Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

But Cashmore, who recently started training at the former club of Sharron Davies' in Devon, had a good excuse after her fourth-placed finish in the women's 100 metre backstroke.

She said: "Training has been difficult recently. I knew something was wrong and I found out on Monday I had glandular fever.

"I don't know how long I've had it but it could be since Christmas. I was told it wasn't too severe but I certainly have not been able to train properly for a few months now. I suppose I should be happy but you should never be happy to miss out on a medal.

"I'm pleased I tried my best, given the circumstances, but it certainly wasn't the best I've ever swam."

Cashmore will now need to cut back on her training and competition schedule to concentrate on her AS Level exams later this summer.

"My next competition isn't until July but I'll take it easy because I've got quite a bit of revision to do," she said.

"I train about 16-18 hours a week, sometimes less, sometimes more, but I'll slow it down a bit now."