CHARLOTTE Gilmartin raced to her first ever major medal at the Fourth ISU World Cup in the 1500m in Shanghai.

The Redditch speed skater took bronze in China as Team GB returned home with four medals.

Competing in the first World Cup A final of her career, Gilmartin skated a tactically excellent race to secure her first medal on the world cup circuit.

Finishing with a time of two minutes and 33.411 seconds her toughest competition came from Choi Minjeong from Korea, and Tao Jiaying from China, who finished and second respectively.

Overwhelmed, she said: “I have been working hard on technique with my coach all season and reaching new personal bests throughout the year, so confidence has been building.

"I am delighted to finally show this progression in racing on the World Cup circuit.”

Representing Great Britain alongside Charlotte were teammates Elise Christie, Richard Shoebridge, Paul Stanley, Josh Cheetham, Murray Cochrane and Farrell Treacy.

Christie, who has so far achieved three medals in the ISU World Cup series, won two of her B Finals over the weekend and finished fifth overall in the 500m and 1000m.

The result places her second in the 500m World Rankings against her toughest rival, Fan Kexin of China.

Murray Cochrane qualified through to the 1500m semi-final in a time of 2:13.278, beating the previous British record of 2:14.091 achieved by Jack Whelbourne in the first round at the 2014 Sochi Olympics en route to becoming the first Briton to reach an Olympic 1500m short track final.

Murray finished in 17th position overall, backed up by Farrell Treacy who finished in 26th.

Richard Shoebridge progressed through the repechage to the quarter finals of the men’s 500m, finishing in 16th position overall.

The GB Short Track team will compete at the Star Class Event hosted in the UK at the National Ice Centre from January 8 to 10, before the European Championships, which take place at the Olympic rink in Sochi from January 22.