Boxer Shannon Courtenay believes finishing runner-up in controversial circumstances at the Golden Girl Championship in Sweden proves there is more to come from her.

A silver medal in Sweden caps a remarkable first year for the 21-year-old from Abbots Langley, who first donned the gloves little over 12 months ago.

After winning the prestigious Haringey Box Cup in the Under-57kg women’s category in June, Courtenay entered herself into the Golden Girl competition and was beaten by a local in the final. But only after her opponent took a bite out of her shoulder.

Reflecting on success in her first international tournament, she said: “If this is what I can do in a year then I’m delighted and who knows where I can go from here.”

Courtenay, who took up boxing in 2014 after first attending the Haringey Box Cup as a spectator, surpassed her own expectations by reaching the final.

She said: “I just went there to enjoy the experience really but once the draw was done and I found out I had drawn a previous Golden Girl (Sophia ‘The Machine Gun’ Smith) I thought: ‘I’ll have a go’.

“Once I had beaten her I wasn’t just happy to be in the final. I knew I had stepped up and I could compete at that level because I knew how hard it was.”

Courtenay watched her final opponent prior to the bout and likened her style to the former WBO, WBC and IBF featherweight champion Prince Naseem.

“She kept her hands low and tried to dominate the middle of the ring,” explained Courtenay. “But as soon as she felt my right hand she started dancing around and I knew I could beat her.

“She was quite awkward and aggressive. She liked to come forward like me. She was trying to spoil at every opportunity but the referee kept allowing her to do it. It’s one of those things.”

To add insult to injury the home fighter emerged victorious after biting Courtney’s shoulder.

“I don’t think she would have got away with it here but it’s all part of the learning curve,” she said. “I lost the first round, smashed the second and I think I nicked the third.

“The experience was amazing and I’m so proud of myself. I’m just taking each day, round and fight as it comes and I will see where I go.”

She continued: “At first I was gutted to lose. But it’s not a loss. I see it as a learning curve instead.

“Fighting internationally was a massive experience for me and I have learnt you have to win that first round.”

The Golden Girl Championship began in 2009 and has grown in the six years that have followed. Courtenay initially decided to go over and compete on her own before being approached by another club, Haringey, rather than her own club, Finchley ABC.

She still represented the north London club but was thrilled to have been approached by another outfit.

“They had seen me on South of England squads. They could have picked anyone but they picked me, so I was honoured,” she said.

Courtenay described it as unbelievable but is targeting better still in 2016. “I’ve got the best team around me. I can’t complain about anything. So if I don’t achieve what I set out to then it’s down too me and no-one else.”