SOPHIE Williams might have left the World Championships empty-handed but the Winsley fencer insists her Italian trip was far from a wasted journey.

The 20-year-old headed to Catania to take part in her first senior World Championships following her debut in the European equivalent just three months earlier where she reached the last 32.

She managed 59th place in the sabre, although she did bounce back to help Great Britain’s women’s sabre team finish 11th.

And after getting her first taste of the global stage the former Millfield School pupil insists she is now better prepared than ever to kickstart her assault on London 2012.

“I have learnt so much from the World Championships and I know I am now a better fencer than before I arrived in Italy,” said Williams – who, like the rest of Britain’s fencing team, is supported by Beazley.

“The competition was always pretty much about gathering as much information as I could in a short space of time and I believe I have done that.

“And I also improved my world ranking from 91st to 75th so I know I am heading in the right direction and it is about building on this now.

“So I know I am improving all the time and for me it is now about going away and building on a promising first World Championships with London 2012 in mind.

“I want to make it the Olympics and even more so after seeing what the World Championships were all about and it has given me the confidence that I am closer now than ever before.”

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