A HUGELY successful swimmer at a Colwyn Bay school has earned a national squad selection for a high-profile event.

Zach Speakman, a Year 11 pupil at Rydal Penrhos, will be part of the Swim Wales squad for the upcoming British Championships in Glasgow next month.

The sports scholar will be looking to add to his impressive list of accolades and will test his skills against some of the best young swimmers anywhere in the country in the 100-metre backstroke and 400m individual medley events.

He will also take part in a national squad day with the Welsh set-up in Aberdeen prior to the competition, where they will train with and compete against the Scottish squad to further ready themselves for competitive action.

Zach is currently working incredibly hard to maintain his place within the Welsh squad, which is achieved by securing a top ten ranking within his age group in any specific.

The pupil has been juggling his training with GCSE revision and examinations, and Zach goes into the event in really good form thanks to a standout showing at the Easter Nationals.

Competing in the 17+ category, Zach managed to turned in an incredible performance throughout and secured three Gold medals as a result of his outstanding level of consistency.

He achieved this feat in the 400-metre individual medley, 200m backstroke and 100m backstroke events, and he received his medals from World and Commonwealth Games medallist Chloé Tutton.

Allen Boyd, director of sport at Rydal Penrhos, said: “Zach is a very hard-working individual who has come on leaps and bounds thanks to his strict commitment to training and his ability to perform on the big stage.

“This has seen him achieve a considerable amount in a relatively short space of time, and hopefully this trend can continue at the British Championships with the Swim Wales squad.”