WARRINGTON'S karate queen Michelle Hey will not allow a Commonwealth bronze medal to distract her focus from October's World Junior Championships.

The 20-year-old Warrington Sports Personality of 2002 was disappointed to finish third for England in the patterned moves (kata) section of the inaugural Commonwealth Karate Championships in Manchester on Sunday but has vowed to carry on training hard.

Cheshire Martial Arts Karate Club's top student said: "It was a senior championships in Manchester and a hard competition.

"But when I was warming up and weighing up the competitors I didn't think it was going to be as tough as it could have been.

"I beat an opponent from New Zealand first of all but lost to one from Malaysia to get into the final. I was a bit disappointed about that because a lot of people said I should have gone through, but it is down to the judges and you never really know what they're looking for. I then defeated a Scottish opponent for third place.

"Now I look forward to the World Championships in Marseille in October and I will carry on training hard for that."

Hey, who lives in Fearnhead and spent a week in camp with the England squad ahead of the Commonwealths, has every reason to maintain confidence and optimism ahead of her France event.

She has continued to build on her successes of 2002 with fifth place finishes to her name in the junior and senior European Championships this year.