Fairlie teenager Fraser Kelly underlined his potential as an up and coming young swimmer after a medal-winning display at the Brodies Scottish School Swimming Championships.
The 14-year-old, who trains with North Ayrshire Amateur Swimming Club, bagged a bronze medal in the 15/16 year old 200m Butterfly at the finals in East Kilbride.
Fraser took a massive three seconds off his best-ever time in a notoriously tough long course pool.
He said: “I was really happy with my race and surprised about my 200.
“Before my race I was really concentrating on what I needed to do to swim well and get a personal best, and hallway through I realised that I had a chance of getting a podium.
“I was extremely happy with how I swam.”
His head coach Ross Douglas, a former double Scottish Schools freestyle champion, was thrilled with Fraser’s effort.
“I knew he had a chance if he got the race correct but for me the biggest thing is the way he is so dogged,” he said
“Fraser has been working hard at really digging in for that last spell of the race and putting the effort in when it really matters and that’s what makes all the difference between finishing 4th and being on the podium – and the connotations of that mentally are huge!
“I’m really excited. We’ve got a couple more months of the grind but everything is looking on course for a strong 2018, and it’s great to be able to say that so early in the season.”