Fran O’Connor is aiming to make sure 2013 is her year and regain the form which thrust her to the top of the national rankings.

The 21-year-old from Kidderminster is getting back to her best after working with coach Mark Wilmott at Wyre Forest Swimming Club.

O’Connor, who has cerebral palsy, ended last year strongly at the National Championships with gold in the 4x50-metre individual medley relay and silver in the 100m freestyle.

Impressively, her times were at least one second faster than 12 months ago.

With no major international tournaments set for this year, the young swimmer is targetting success at the British Disability Championships, which will be held at Ponds Forge in Sheffield at the end of April.

Her father Kevin said: “Fran is looking in really good shape for the year. The British Disability Championships are her big target for the year.

“But there is some talk of a European Short Course tournament being held in Amernia but that is not set in stone.

“The times she set in at the end of last year were a second faster than she was setting in 2011 so it says how much she has developed.”

O’Connor is also aiming to put behind her the disappointment of missing out on the London Paralympic Games.

She had been hoping to represent the Republic of Ireland after being unable to break into a very strong GB squad. But the Irish authorities reduced the team they were sending to last summer’s sporting extravaganza.