SWINDON swimmer Jazz Carlin has dedicated her two Olympic silver medals to her family after capping off a fine Games in the pool in Rio.

The 25-year-old had to dig deep in the last 100m of the 800m final as she claimed her second silver medal, adding to her second place finish in the 400m freestyle, ahead of Hungarian Boglarka Kapas with a time of 8 minutes 16.17 seconds.

However, the pair were eclipsed by America’s Katie Ledecky who took gold with a scintillating world record of 8:04.79.

Carlin was delighted to end the Olympic Games with two silver medals and has said none of it would be possible without the dedication of her parents, Mary and Roger.

“I couldn’t be here where I am today without (my family),” she said.

“All those early mornings driving me to training when I was moody and I didn’t want to go to training.

“At five o’clock in the morning it is quite hard to be upbeat and happy.

“They have been here from the start, through the tough times and the hard times and it is nice they can finally be here.

“To come away with two silver medals is an incredible feeling.

“I could see Katie was quite far ahead and I thought I was just going to get stuck into the racing.

“I have been feeling a bit rough for a couple of days, so to come away with a silver medal is an incredible feeling.”

Having qualified third fastest for the final with a time of 8 minutes 19.67 seconds on Thursday afternoon, Carlin went in lane three of the final.

As in the heats, Carlin started well in the opening 100m as she turned in second, 1.91 seconds off the pace of Ledecky but on the British record pace.

With a quarter of the race gone, Carlin had fallen almost another second behind Ledecky, 2.59 seconds behind the American, however, she was extending the lead to Spanish Maria Blemonte Garcia in third place.

By the halfway turn, Hungarian swimmer Kapas, who had beaten Carlin in every race this year, including the heats in Rio, had gone ahead of the Spanish swimmer as she closed the gap on Carlin in second.

With 200m to go Kapas had taken Carlin for second spot as the duo battled it out for the silver medal, with the Tigersharks swimmer 0.3 seconds behind.

However, with 100m to go, Carlin made her move and moved back into second spot at the final turn and touched home in second.

Having missed out on the London Olympics with illness and changing training centres and coaches in the four years since, Carlin was relieved that it all culminated in success in Rio.

“It has been tough,” added Carlin, who will be looking forward to a holiday with her parents now.

“I relocated to the Bath programme two years ago nearly and I have had to change coaches, change where I live but it is great.

“I have got an amazing coach and support staff around me at Bath and I am finally sort of believing in myself.

“I have been working a lot with my sport psychologist just trying to stick to my race plan and being confident – it is working on that side of things as well, not just the physical side.

“It is amazing racing these girls. Even though we race each other, I am great friends with a lot of those girls and it is nice to be racing against each other at the top.

“I’m just going to have some time away from the pool and see what is next for me.”