By Ian Gordon, PA Sport, Paris

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Hayley Tullett was so shocked at winning a World Championship 1,500metres medal that she did not know how to react when she crossed the line.

The 30-year-old Swansea runner grabbed a surprise bronze to help double Britain's medal tally to four on the ninth and final day of competition in the Stade de France.

Tullett avoided some trouble in the pack 200m from home and charged for the line to finish third in a personal best time of 3mins 59.95secs - the only personal best from a British athlete at these championships.

"I didn't think I saw it correctly when I crossed the line," said a stunned Tullett. "I had to wait for the result to appear on the giant screen and then watch the replay before it began to sink in.

"I didn't know how to react and said to myself: 'What do I do? Do I run round the track? No, I haven't won', so I just walked off and started giving some bad interviews.

"If I had been expected to get a medal or I was someone who had won lots of medals before it might have been different, but that isn't me."

Tullett's gameplan worked like a dream in the final and she promised herself a glass of wine or two to celebrate.

She said: "I felt that the final was wide open on paper and I felt I wanted to achieve something and finish as high as possible. There was some trouble with about 200m to go but I saw it and managed to run wide and avoid it - then it was a case of eyes down and bloody run and keep going for the line.

"I have been dry for 10 days so I am going to celebrate by having a glass of wine or two tonight."

After making the Olympic final in Sydney in 2000, Tullett has come through a couple of tough years to enjoy a good season this year.

She revealed how she went "back to basics" in a bid to try and regain that Sydney form, and said she was going to give up competing if things had not come together for her this year.

"I have been trying to get back to where I was in 2000," explained Tullett, who teaches PE. "Things didn't happen for me in 2001 although I found out I was slightly anaemic, then 2002 went completely wrong.

"I talked it over with my coach, Mark Rowland, and we decided to get back to basics and follow the same plan which worked for me in Sydney. I did a lot of 3km and cross country running in the winter and it has made me stronger.

"I was beginning to ask myself whether I'd had my best days and decided that I would only carry on next year if this year went well.

"I am not a slacker and it's no fun training and putting your heart into it and then running like the way I did last year, so I did think about retiring from competition."

Having proved she does indeed have a future in the sport, Tullett will no have the added belief that she can follow up this bronze in Paris by finishing in the medals at next summer's Olympics in Athens.