A FORMER Woking Swimming Club star has become Britain’s golden girl after securing her first ever world title in Canada.

Ottershaw’s Hannah Russell, 17, capped a stunning display at Montreal’s International Paralympic Committee World Championships with a golden gloss, having already surged to a hat-trick of silvers and a brilliant bronze.

Hannah knocked nearly a second off her own British record to clock 1:08.72 in the S12 100m backstroke showcase.

“For all the work I’ve put in to pay off, I’m really pleased,” said the teen, who adds to her double bronze and silver haul from London 2012 (right). And after touching home more than a second clear of her nearest rival in the final, Hannah admitted that she was relieved to have enough in the tank after a hectic week.

She explained: “Having the four events beforehand has been quite hard because I was always wanting to swim as well as I can in the backstroke.

“I knew I just had to stay confident and focused throughout the meet, and that I’d be OK and it was an absolutely amazing feeling when I realised I’d won gold.

“It was a very hard final for me and I just tried to stay quite calm going into it.

“I knew I needed to focus on my start and my turns, which I think paid off in that swim.”

Born with a visual impairment, Hannah has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the forefront of elite competition and now, after ending her wait for a first major title, she looks set to be in her prime when Rio 2016 rolls around in three years’ time.

While the 17-year-old won two medals at the 2011 European Championships and three at London 2012 last year, her victory in Canada was for her first international gold.

But despite her huge talent, the triumph still came as a shock for the modest swimmer.

She said: “I had no idea that I’d won until my team-mates started congrat-ulating me – it was an amazing feeling and I couldn’t quite believe it.”

Earlier this year, the New Central development in Woking recognised Hannah’s achievements by branding the complex’s gym in her name.