AUSTRALIA-BOUND swimming sensation Todd Cooper's ultimate bid for an Olympic gold has gained a boost with funding from the Scottish Lottery.
Kidderminster's Cooper, who heads down under in January for a month-long training camp, is on a swimming scholarship at Scotland's University of Stirling.
The 17-year-old, whose parents Gary and Lynn live in Spennells, has made such an impression that he is already ranked No. 7 in Great Britain in the 100m senior butterfly.
Cooper continued his progress with a fourth place and time of 56.6 seconds at a six-nation international junior event in Germany at the weekend.
Gary said: "At the moment, Todd's training very, very hard so he was not really race fit. He's off to Australia in January for four weeks.
"When he goes to places like Australia, Scotland now pay for him to go. It was very expensive before. He has also gone into university a year early after going up there to do 12 months at a normal school."
Cooper earned his sponsorship by swimming within the qualifying time, 55.9 seconds in the 100m butterfly at the Olympic qualifiers in Sheffield during the summer.
He already holds the U-16 British records for the 100m and 50m backstroke and was voted young sports person of the year in 1998.
After following his American coach Chris Martin from the City of Birmingham Swimming Club to Scotland, Cooper, who trains for five hours each day, has rarely looked back.
And his father said: "Todd just takes it all in his stride. He knows exactly what he wants to achieve and sets goals every year.
"He now wants to represent Great Britain in the Junior European competition next summer."
The ex-Haybridge High School pupil is taking a degree in sports studies with film and media.
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