PENNY Coomes improved 10 places on her second appearance at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but insists it is only now that her career starts getting serious.

Maidenhead-born Coomes and ice dance partner Nicholas Buckland finished 20th on their Winter Olympic debut in Vancouver in 2010.

The pair described that outing as merely a bonus for they had always targeted Sochi 2014 as their maiden Games, and after a short dance score of 59.33 they impressed in the free dance to meet their coach’s top-10 target.

Coomes and Buckland, who won European bronze last month, were awarded 91.78 for their Michael Jackson inspired free dance, for a combined total of 151.11 and 10th overall.

The target now is to jump up seven places and climb the podium at Pyeongchang 2018, with Coomes admitting that such a task begins now following their outing in Sochi.

“I feel like we have only just begun. We’ve been skating together for a long time but the way we train now compared to four years ago is just another level,” said Coomes.

“I feel like we’ve only just started to get on that ladder to reach our potential. We are nowhere close to what we can do, I am sure of that, but if we keep working, we will surprise ourselves.

“Going to Vancouver was almost like a free ticket for us. We got to go and experience it and take it all in. Now, this time around, it’s a little bit more serious.

“It has definitely given me that hunger, and I really want to come back in four years time and get a medal. That is what we are going to strive for everyday. We will give it everything and see how it goes.” To show the level Coomes and Buckland must jump up to in order to be in the medal mix at the 2018 Games, bronze was won by Russians Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov with a combined total of 183.48.

However, for Coomes and Buckland, coached by double Olympic ice dance champion Evgeny Platov, that is more than achievable – she just needs to get the feeling back in her legs first.

“I gave it everything and couldn’t feel my legs when I got off. I couldn’t feel my feet, I just wanted to take my skates off. It has happened a couple of times but this was particularly bad,” she added.

“At the end I can hold it together better than that but I just sat crying. I felt quite nervous out there with it all.” Platov, gold medallist at Lillehammer 1994 and Nagano 1998, believes Coomes and Buckland’s performance at the European Championships was better, but has vowed to help them deliver a medal in four years time.

“It went pretty well but I think the Europeans was better, there was more fire in the skate,” he said. “Overall I think they skated pretty well. I cannot ever be satisfied because if you are it means your job is over.

“They will absolutely make that jump, in every aspect we are going to add a lot. We have to add endurance so they can fly, and we have to have more speed.

“The target here was top 10, the next target in four years is medals – definitely.” Samsung are a proud partner of Team GB and supporting the Samsung Galaxy Team. To meet them, see exclusive content and win amazing prizes, including once-in-a-lifetime winter sport training sessions with the Samsung Galaxy Team athletes, visit: www.samsung.com/uk/sochi2014 **PICK up a copy of the Observer, out now, for all the latest sports news and action** **FOLLOW the Observer on Twitter at @Observer_sports**