Results last season may have surpassed Laviai Nielsen’s expectations but the Enfield & Haringey sprinter insists there is even more to come this year as she chases her Olympic dream.

The 19-year-old clinched double gold at the Under-20 European Championships in Sweden back in July in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

The sprinter was also the fastest over 400m in Britain at Under-20 level and the seventh fastest at senior level behind the likes of 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu.

And having been named in the World Championships squad for Beijing last year, Nielsen has her sights set on booking her seat on the place to Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Despite her successes last year, Nielsen also had to contend with her fare share of injuries, but with a clean bill of health currently, the one-lap specialist is confident even faster times are on the horizon to impress selectors.

“Last year was beyond my wildest dreams. I did not think I would run the times I was running or win the Europeans,” she said.

“Building onto this year I just really want to run a lot faster than I did last year.

Last year I was injured quite a few times and I don’t want that this year. Hopefully that will make me run faster. I feel a lot stronger though and a lot faster.

“The experience that I had last year in going to the World Championships makes me realise how much I want to be on that stage. I’ve been training to be able to do that.

“I go to warm weather training camp in April which I’m looking forward to. After that I will take a few weeks off and start competing. I’d like to do a European circuit, competing against international stars.

“I have the Olympic trials at the end of June which will be really tough. We’ve got a strong field of 400m women and then the team gets selected in early July.”

Nielsen was speaking at the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport workshop at the Loughborough University campus, where more than 20 of the country’s brightest athletes were in attendance.

They were offered education seminars on issues such as nutrition, time management and interview techniques, and given mentoring by former Olympic cyclist Bryan Steel, ex-England rugby union player David Flatman, and London 2012 Olympian Adam Gemili.

And Gemili believes he saw plenty of potential in the likes of Nielsen and her fellow Academy of Sport athletes.

Gemili said: “I feel really privileged to be here speaking to these guys, trying to inspire them by sharing my story, and hopefully I can help them progress to the next level.

“The Academy of Sport does such great things for these young athletes. Jade Jones is the best example – she was on this programme and went on to win Olympic gold at London 2012.

“I’ve been talking about performance lifestyle and the transition from being a junior athlete to a senior one. Things like how much you sleep, eat, and what you do away from your chosen sport plays a massive part in being the best, so I want to share my wisdom.

“Hopefully some of these guys here today will go on to be the best in their field, and here they are learning skills that they will keep with them for their entire careers, which is brilliant.”

Laviai Nielsen attended the Jaguar Land Rover Academy of Sport workshop, mentored by Land Rover Ambassador David Flatman and Sportsaid Patron Bryan Steel. For more information visit sportsaid.org.uk.