Sawtry star Lauren Steadman insisted she is ‘very proud’ of her silver medal despite missing out on Paralympic glory after taking a wrong turn.

Steadman went into the Women’s PT4 Paratriathlon as hot favourite, but her hopes of winning gold were dashed when she failed to spot a buoy during the opening swimming discipline.

Steadman had surged into an early lead before briefly heading in the wrong direction. She soon realised her mistake and rejoined the pack before hitting the front on the bike, but eventual winner Grace Norman of America then took control in the closing run to take gold.

It meant Steadman had to settle for a silver medal as she came home 64 seconds behind the winner in a total time of 1:11.43.

Steadman said: “I had a fantastic start and I knew that the swim would be where I could do some damage.

“I just missed the second buoy so in that sense I went wrong. I had to go back around the buoy. The tide had taken Grace before I could get there.

“I tried really hard on the bike and it took my legs for the run. Grace is a phenomenal runner. I gave it my all and I’m very proud of my silver medal.”

Fellow Huntingdonshire star Clare Cunningham finished in seventh place in Rio in a time of 1:19.02.

The 39 year-old, from Papworth Everard, was competing in the Paralympics for the first time since 1996, when she raced as a swimmer in Atlanta having captured five medals four years earlier in the pool in Barcelona.